Rising into Darkness
by Sutoriitoenzeru-Street Angel
Summary: Contains Diary Entries and Lime. Malik Anzu Yami situation. Anyway, informatent at the end of chapter 10 for those who actually wanted me to continue this fic! I'm sorry! Just read...plz?
1. Dear Diary

25.07.03

Dear Diary,

It has been a while since Battle City; six months actually, to Yuugi-chan-taichi's and my surprise time hasn't passed all that quickly. I figured that after all the danger had passed that time would fly by, but no, it hasn't, it's dragging on and life is almost…boring.

School's good I suppose, my English grades are picking up finally, why can't those stupid people just speak Japanese it would be so much easier. Oh well, mother is still visiting Paris with father, Aunt Amelia is constantly out of the house so it's just me. The afternoons are boring now, the house is so quite these days, and I just wish something would happen!

Something weird has been happening with me lately, I haven't told anyone because I don't quite know whom to tell. My parents are away and it would cost too much to call them, plus they only said in an emergency and this hardly an emergency. Aunt Amelia goes out every night and trots off to the bar to get drunk and come home at one in the morning, she wakes up with a huge hangover and by the time I go to school and come back again there's not time to talk to her.

Yuugi-chan, he's too busy helping Yami-san who still doesn't know all about his Ancient past and after having to eject that other Bakura from his Puzzle to the Shadow Realm it's been harder. Or at least that's what they're telling me…

Honda-kun and Ryouji-chan, not that I know Ryouji-chan that well anyway, are to busy chasing after Shizuka-chan. Poor Jounouchi-kun has to keep track of them both, I wonder how Shizuka-chan feels sometimes.

Anyway, I suppose I can tell you what's wrong, I keep seeming to black out, or rather, my mind goes numb and I can only seem to see black. When I get my vision back I seem to be in a different room, or different shop, basically, I'm moving, or rather my body is and I have no idea what's going on around me.

I brake up tomorrow.

Oh well, nothing new to report…

Signing off

~Anzu

3

01.08.03

Dear Diary,

It's been a while hasn't, nothing really changed and I saw no reason to record the mind-lass babbles of a teenage girl. Aunt Amelia's in bad shape though, she was coming home at about eleven last night, drunk as you please and what does she do? Does and gets herself slammed by a truck. I was called into the Hospital at around 1:00; the doctor said she might not pull through.

It wouldn't be any great loss, father has fallen ill and now mother must stay with him in France. He is not deadly sick but he cannot travel yet so they have to extend their visit. I'm eighteen soon, nine days in fact, is Amelia can last that long then I won't need to go into care or have someone else come to look after me.

I wouldn't really mind if she did die, it's been so long now that I'm used to the house being so quiet and hearing the slam of the door and the rattle of the glass as Aunt Amelia comes back at midnight or some other un-Godly hour.

We've begun to drift apart, our group I mean, Yuugi held us all together, united us for the danger ahead, but now…everything is just slipping away. When I said something would happen I had originally meant for something a little more interesting than my over alcoholic Aunt behind road kill.

I have so much time to study now it's unbelievable; I'm going to University to study for Marine biology. Now I understand how Kaiba can run a company as easily as he does, with only Mokuba for company and such a large mansion to live in I bet there's hardly any noise at all.

My dream for dancing was just a fantasy, it's passed now.

That's all for now…

Signing off,

Anzu

3

08.08.03

Dear Diary,

My birthday today, Yuugi-taichi threw a surprise party for me, but none of us really enjoyed it, we're too old for it now I suppose, or maybe we weren't good enough friends any more. We ate the snacks and watched Chicago; it was still early so we ended up watching many other DVD's that Jou-kun had brought with him.

But that isn't what I really wanted to say. When I said I wanted something to happen I didn't think that it would actually happen. Guess whose come back? Malik Ishtar! Yes, it's true, him, Isis and Rishid have all moved back here to Domino City, Ryou-kun told us. We aren't quite sure how he found out but it doesn't really matter.

Apparently Isis has bought the second largest mansion in Domino, Kaiba's already bagged the first, she's got enough money to rival Kaiba Corporation's entire financial network. I'm going to go and visit her tomorrow, see how she's doing and probably to get to know her a little better. I don't know about Malik though, I hope I can avoid him.

Poor Aunt Amelia is still hospital ridden but the doctors are beginning to doubt her ability to pull through. I'm eighteen now and am officially aloud to be on my own so it doesn't really matter. Father has made a full recovery and mother and father will be back at the end of the week. It'll be good to see them again.

I got sacked from my part time job at the restaurant, I'll have to find another one soon but I haven't really looked yet.

That's all…

Signing off

Anzu

3


	2. As the fruit ripens

Closing the black, leather bound book and placing a long, equally black biro beside it on her desk. Sealing the padlock that held the books secrets from prying eyes she made her way towards her blue covered bed. Lifting the covers gently the teen Anzu yawned loudly before clambering into the cool confines of her sheets.

It seemed like only a moment ago that she had been revelling in the cooling bliss of her sheets, now they were warm and wrapped around her sweating body. She'd awoken once more at 06:00 just like she had every morning since she'd began to have her 'black-out' sessions.

---Dream---

Cerulean blue eyes fluttered open to be met by a nearly completely black scene that bore little difference to the inside of her eyelids. Royal blues and dark purples swirled into the infinite black that fell before her eyes. Her feet seemed to be floating in mid air but she was suspended, as though tide to some great rope that hung from some imaginary ceiling.

Placing her right foot forward to the left and steadily making her suspended way forward towards no real destination. However as she 'walked' forwards two voice; deep and husky, seeped slowly into her ears and grew steadily louder.

Both the voices she recognised, one rougher than the other which held a slightly more accented tone. "What do you mean by that?" asked the rougher but Anzu had never yet been able to make out the form of the figure and found it impossible to place his voice although she knew it belonged to someone she had encountered before.

"You know the answer to that already," answered the other, she could distinctly define the outer shapes of their bodies now, one with hair that flowed down his obviously male back. The other with his stuck up like the shape of a pinecone and his body more muscular and built than that of the other.

It was at that point, just as they were about to be revealed, that she awoke from her trance like state to find herself hot and sweaty and tangled in a mass of soaking sheets.

She yawned, grabbing a brush from her bedside table she began to hurriedly brush her hair as she made her way to the bathroom. Some minutes later she was completely dressed, grabbed her handbag and walked out eh door, locking it behind her. She yawned lightly, still slightly sleepy, but kept warning in the early morning sunlight. It hadn't rained in a while.

Having walked, and all the way round town and across half of Domino I might add, to the Ishtar Manor it was some, 7:30 by the time she got there. Starring up at the golden barred gate she went over to the intercom imbedded in the wall. Above it a sign was plastered to the wall with obviously very little effort, it was of centre, hanging limply to the right, the edges fluttered slightly as the early morning wind rustled past it.

'Opening: 7:45

HELP REQUIRED

If you are available from 08:00 to 17:00 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and can clean, cook and wash please come up. Minimum salary, 1000 yen, may increase during period of service.

I. Ishtar (It was written in a fluent hand, swift and curled forming the signature of one…)

Isis Ishtar'

The word 'ideal' and the phrase 'nothing better to do' ran through Anzu's mind like a rabbit being chased by a fox. Checking her watch she found that barely ten minutes had passed and it has only just gone 7:37. Her courses of action were limited, stay and wait in the unusually cold outdoors for another five or so minutes, walk up to the mansion to talk to Isis and then go for the interview, go and come back alter or just go home and forget about the whole thing.

Deciding that she'd rather have a decent conversation with another woman, than sit around at her house all day in the immense silence and slightly stuffy atmosphere of her upper floor, she pressed the little, golden button and heard a faint buzz and a crackle as the electronics within fizzed into life. She waited for two or three minutes, she wasn't really counting, before pressing again and holding it down, prolonging the annoying buzz that rang through her ears like a bell.

Finally getting annoyed by the vibration of an electrically charged gong she removed her finger and leaned casually against the wall beside the contraption. She was just about to give up and come back later when a little ping came from the round, crossed barred speaker that sat, un-movingly, above the golden button.

There was a shuffling noise and the sound of random object being hastily pushed aside in someones un-collected haste. "Isis, Ishtar, how may I help you?" came a voice that Anzu hardly recognised, had it not been for the state of her name Anzu would not have believed this to be Isis, it appeared she was not the only one who had changed.

She pressed the annoying golden button and said clearly, "My name is Anzu Mazaki, I'd like to apply for you job application?" she glanced at her watch to find that in her boredom time had past her by and it was now ten to eight, a time at which she was usually curled up in bed.

"Ah yes, please come right up, a man will meet you at the door," came her voice after the resounding 'ping', like the sound you get when you hit a triangle.

The noise of ancient hinges, un-oiled and rusted, finally being put to use made Anzu's ears hurt, it was as if someone was scrapping overly long nails down a black board, or some dieing animal crying out at a pitch that was unnaturally high. The golden bars, flecked with dust, dirt, chipped paint work and a little rust swung aside admitting her entrance.

It wasn't a long walk, unlike the Kaiba mansion where you hat to be met by a car to drive you all the way there.

The gravel was obviously new, or at least not as old and un-kept as the gates, shining with dew, the little pebbles gave a satisfying crunch under her boot covered feet. Some flew to her sides after being hit at odd angles, but she had little time to indulge in the childish pleasures of kicking tiny bits of gravel. Sooner than she had expected she was standing before a large, open at that, oaken door.

"Anzu Mazaki?" a deep, resonating voice inquired that made her look up startled only to be met by the stern, half tattooed, face of Rishid.

"Hai," she answered not really paying attention as she scanned what little of the, large seeming, front hall she could see.

"Please follow me," he muttered noting with distain her obvious lack of awareness towards her current situation. Hearing but not really concentrating on him fully she followed his broad form through the hall, her eyes admiring the many elegant and authentic Egyptian Artefacts that lined the walls in glass coated cases.

Minute and well-carved crystals hung on wires from, what appeared to be, golden chandeliers. Due to the darkened skies of this particularly droopy day the lights had been turned on, the light reflecting through the crystal causing the light the split and rainbows flow over the walls.

The large, deep purple, rich velvet curtain drapes were pulled across five, floor to ceiling, windows that lined the hall that lead off the front hall with doors leading to all different places.

It was only when Rishid's voice managed to cut through her thoughts after the second time of trying that she looked to find them having stopped at the end of the hall. "In here please," he said, opening a large door made of Birchwood and gesturing her inside with his hand.

Nodding her thanks she stepped past him, through the arched doorway and into what appeared to be a library. Rounded, metre high shelves radiated from a central point in the centre of the room. Two lines, symmetric to each other, had been cut through the book cases in a 180° line leaving her pathway clear to a large rosewood table, circular and about 3 metres in diameter.

At one of the seats, with her back to her, sat what was presumably Isis, her hair almost long enough to sit on but still jet black and impeccably straight. Moving swiftly towards her Anzu cleared her throat as she neared the figure bent over the table.

Rising slowly Isis turned around in her seat to gaze warmly at Anzu as she moved into a position where it was easier for Isis's eyes to fall upon her. "You're Mazaki, Anzu I presume?" she asked politely smiling gently as she waved at the seat beside her in an obvious gesture to sit down.

"Hai Ishtar-sama," Anzu replied, using a term of courtesy rather than to set a bad impression by a appearing to be so bold as to call her by her first name lest she did not recognise her.

"May I just inquire, are you the same Anzu Mazaki that I met during Kaiba-san's Battle City?" she asked, so she did remember her.

"Hai Ishtar-sama, that was me," Anzu replied lacing her fingers together and layer her hands on the desk.

"You can call me Isis, there is no need for such formalities between friends," Isis said smiling and Anzu smiled back, although she saw no reason to voice a reply.

"So Anzu," Isis said looking down at her pieces of paper before glancing back up to stare the brunette in the eyes, "you wish to apply for the job?"

"Yes Isis, it would be a real help," Anzu replied sighing slightly.

"Yes well, I'm not going to bother with the interview and I'm just going to skip forward to the last bit," Isis said smiling nervously but as Anzu raised a critical eyebrow it fell completely leaving an obviously distraught face.

"What's wrong?" Anzu asked, her cerulean eyes boring into Isis' own.

"Well…it's just that all those who have applied before have all run out screaming, crying or in obvious distress," Isis explained through slightly clenched teach, sighing heavily in worry.

"Well I've been through a lot so have a go," Anzu said drearily, she drew her fingers from one another and spread her fingers in order to examine her nails that much better.

"Alright then," Isis said rising from her seat and went to the door, she exited and closed it carefully. There was a loud, high-pitched sound muffled by the overly thick door. The sound of overhead stomping and more muffled cries, lower than that of, what was presumably, Isis.

The door was slammed open; Anzu winced as part of the delicate white paintwork was chipped, as was the polish on the wooden door. Unclenching her screwing up eyelids her blue eyes swam from a vague blur into instant focus. In the doorway, a boy, taller than Isis, stood; he didn't look too much older than herself; three years at most. Beach blonde hair cropped to hang just below his shoulders in little clumps with bright lavender eyes flaming with some inner anger. He was quite handsome with his tall, well built stature and the way his bangs fell lightly over his lively eyes. Then it struck her, this was Malik, a twenty-year-old Malik to be precise, and he had grown some, Anzu remembered him as a skinny, scrawny looking boy with messy hair, dark eyes and virtually no muscle what so ever.

"Isis I refuse to let you hire some cheep whore looking for money," he complained looking over his shoulder at his sister who was shaking her head. Turning his head back to her, his eyes gave her a scrutinizing glance as he strode towards her. Placing his hands on the table, palms down on the tabletop her leaned his weight on them and glared into her eyes.

Suddenly they widened and two golden brown eyebrows rose slightly, "Well if it isn't the pathetic, little, friendship preaching Pharaoh's whore."

"I'm eighteen now Malik, I've heard worse than that," she replied, slightly angry as he openly insulted her but what she had said was true and it really didn't matter what he thought anyway.

He smirked, and this time glanced her up and down before straightening up and turning to Isis, still smirking he said, "Dearest sister, you will hire her or I'll do it myself!"

Isis sighed, relaxing and smiling, "Anzu, will you take the job?" Malik didn't turn around but Anzu knew he was smirking, and she had a funny feeling about what he might be so 'happy' about.

"Alright then," she said, smiling warmly at Isis and trying, not to mention succeeding, to pretend that nothing had happened, she wasn't going to let Malik get to her like that. Even if he was a very handsome, maybe even sexy, adult, who was probably very good at seducing girls like her who fell for charm and looks and charm and looks alone.

Well, it wasn't going to work on her, she came her for a job, she'd got it and now she was going to earn her keep, Malik didn't matter, he wasn't important, she didn't, as young adolescents would so kindly put it, fancy him. He strong, dark and handsome, but that didn't mean you fell for a man, you pass those kind of people everyday on the street and you don't start drooling all over them for it.

Seto Kaiba was tall, strong, dark, independent, clever and witty, he had so many other qualities that Anzu found alluring but she didn't fancy him.

"You can start on Monday if you like," Isis suggested smiling broadly at Anzu, thankful that not only was someone she already knew and could trust but she had taken the job.

"Actually Isis, since I have nothing to do and this house is in desperate need of a do I think I'll start today, if that's alright with you," she added not wanting to seem impolite.

"Oh you're a star," Isis said clasping her hands, her watch glinted and her face became a mask of horror when she saw the face. "Oh I am terribly sorry, I must dash, meeting at the museum and I'll be late if I don't go now, Malik, show Anzu her outfit and get her acquainted, goodbye, gomen Anzu-chan." She was soon long gone after her hasty goodbye that left Anzu with her eyes slightly widened and one slender brown eyebrow rose.

"After you my dear," he said teasingly in that charming, lust-laced voice of his bowing lightly and making over extravagant gestures toward the door with his arms.

"Don't mind if I do," she said flicking her hair and switching her weight t the other hip before walking swiftly out the door giving Malik a fleeting glance as she passed him. If he wanted to play his little games she wasn't going to let him get away with it, she had a few tricks of her own.

He began to follow, his long strides easily able to keep pace with Anzu's own, light and swift ones. As he came up next to her she felt his hand cup one side of her rear and squeeze lightly. She was about to turn to him and scream in outrage when she thought of a better idea, she swung her arm forwards, curled her fist into a ball and brought I back down…into his balls.

He gasped and doubled over in pain enclosing his groin with his hands as he bit his lip. Anzu half glared at him, trying to looks stern and not laugh. "Point 1) I'm here for the job, not you, 2) Don't touch me like that again, ever and 3) You hit, I hit you back. Now, where am I supposed to go again?" she asked fluttering her eyelashes.

Straightening up, breathing a little heavier than usual he wheezed, "You are such a bitch Anzu," he tried to glare but ended up wincing again.

"I'm not a bitch Malik," she replied calmly putting her hands on her hips and starring him straight in the eyes as he crossed his arms like a child, his expression clearly contradicted her, "I've just grown up since I saw you last, although I can't say the same for you."

"Oh whatever," he said flapping his hand at her and then beginning to lead the way again. He led her passed white and gold hallways, ancient glittering artefacts, great stone slabs depicting some part of the world's ancient history. "In here," he said gesturing to a lightly pink tinged room with the woodwork painted beige and creamy coloured drapes pull back by golden ropes.

She stepped inside; there was a full body mirror in one corner, a beauty stand with a couple of hairbrushes and small bits of makeup strewn upon it. This was all to her left and on her right, a pair of closed beige double doors spanning nearly the whole size of the wall, although this room wasn't very big.

"Just give me a sec," Malik said, "I need to pick out you're outfit but first I'll need your measurements," he smirked; this was going to be fun.

She raised a slender eyebrow, "28, 33," she said plainly, not quite understanding why he was smirking.

"Okay, but," she saw that word coming, "these uniforms have inlaid bras so, I'll need to know the size of these," he said cupping one of her breasts with his hand only to have it slapped away.

"Oh you'd love that wouldn't you?" she spat, getting angry now, why couldn't he just lie off? She wasn't what someone would call pretty, not in her eyes anyway so what did he want?

"I most certainly would," he said smirking from one ear to the other as her cheeks were stained delicate rouge as though someone had spilt a glass of wine across her face.

She turned away and gritted her teeth, "30 D," she ground out, the sound muffled by her teeth but decipherable.

"I'm so sorry," Malik, said putting one hand to his ear and cupping it, "I didn't quite catch that." This was very amusing to him, he was getting top torment the Pharaoh's crush, it was obvious she saw him as a friend and it was also obvious how much he **liked** her.

"30 D okay?" she yelled, her fists clenched, her biceps and triceps clenching, stretching the muscles so much it hurt and she was forced to relax.

"Now that wasn't so hard was it?" he asked as he strode of into the cupboard, Anzu gasped when he opened the doors, the thing was huge but before long Malik had emerged.

"I suppose you'll want to stay while I change?" Anzu asked coldly with immense sarcasm.

"If you're offering," he said smirking as he locked the cupboard door so she couldn't pick a different outfit.

"Well I'm not, so out!" sh said indicating the door as she snatched the ass of black and white from him.

"Alright, alright," he said walking to the door, "I'm going see, no need to bite my head off."

After he'd gone out Anzu whispered, "Oh there's need alright, backed up with plenty of reasoning, I could sue him for sexual harassment." It was then that she looked at the outfit gave it a critical look before putting it on.

A little while later, after she'd wriggled her way into the outfit, it was a tight fit, she gave her hair a quick brush before she looked in the full length mirror.

The top layer was black, with thin straps and the skirt fanned out tremendously on a horizontal level. Three layers of lacy white frill held the wave of black material up but covered her underwear. White frills extended from the sleeves and from them black arms pieces went down to her wrists. Long white shocks that reached to mid way up her thigh with two black stripes running round the top, the pair were attached to a pair of suspenders. Black, zip up, ankle boots with a one-inch heel covered her small feet.

Malik had been telling the truth, the top part of the suit where her breasts were was under-wired. The cut came low over her breasts and dipped between them to a small point giving the neck some shape. Anzu was left with two pin on bows and she couldn't figure out where they went, she didn't think the outfit needed them though. In her opinion she looked more like some kind of showgirl, waitress.

Just then Malik walked in and smirked, "Don't know where to put those I take it?" he asked making her jump and turn sharply. He didn't let her speak, just took the bows and went down on his knees.

"Malik, w-what are you doing?" she asked, stuttering slightly in her surprise.

"Putting on the finishing touches," he said as he pinned the bows onto the outside of her thighs. As he began to stand up he let his hand run up her inner thigh making her shiver and push him away violently.

"How many times do I have to tell you **not** to do that?" she demanded angrily stomping her foot making the outfit, and affectively her breasts, bounce.

He licked his lips, they had gone dry at the site, "Until you run out of breath to say it," was his reply, he then proceeded to give her a tour of the mansion and her timetable. She nodded a goodbye to him and he went off, presumably to his bedroom.

**Now that was long! Took 4ever 4 me 2 write that! ^_^ Thank-you to Candace for being my first reviewer adn thanx 2 Silver MSit4, Myatical miyuki, teafan123 and Darkness Falls1 for reviweing also. Luv u ppl and keep it up p&q!**


	3. Love can be folly

It's was a bright Sunday afternoon, the sun was high in the sky and shining brightly, a few white clouds littered the light blue sky. Anzu was stretched out leisurely on the beach, face-up, in her string bikini tanning. She was lying flat out on her towel trying to cover as much of it as she possibly could. Her parents had arrived back at around two this morning and they had immediately been greeted with the fact that Aunt Amelia hadn't made it and they were the only known relatives of one Kiki Mazaki.

Anzu's father had been born one of three, the eldest had died at birth from heart failure, her father had been born and then about two years later his younger brother comes out. Anzu's father married Anzu's mother and had her while Uncle Odin runs off with Amelia. They have an illegitimate daughter, Kiki; Odin gains custody and runs off, never to be heard form again. He dies at the same time of his wife and now Anzu and her side of the family have been left with Kiki.

Her mother and father were sitting in deck-chairs not far away chatting idly as they watch eight year old Kiki building sand castles and frowning in puzzlement as the water she poured from a red bucket into the 'moat' vanished.

"Anzu hi!" came the call of a voice that Anzu recognised, with a slightly British accent. However, she wasn't really listening to the voice, she was stretched out on her towel, warm, comfortable, eyes closed and half asleep. "Anzu," said the voice, closer this time.

"Em hm," she mumbled not really listening, she didn't want to have to get up, you see, it was just so nice here.

"Anzu, it's me, Ryou," finally she decided to crack her eyes opened and she smiled up at the boy who smiled back. He was crouched beside her and she saw her parents giving him wary glances out of the corner of her eye.

"What are you doing here?" she asked surprised, sitting up slightly as she rubbed the vague sleepiness out of her bright blue eyes.

"Well, me and the gang are all here, well, Yuugi, Jou, Mai, Seto and I," he said, "Honda and Ryouji are chasing after Shizuka again tot eh best of my knowledge but as to the whereabouts of anyone else I have no idea."

"Oh wow, we haven't had fun like this in ages, pity I'm stuck with my family," she sighed, clicking her tongue as she swiftly thrust her head gently in the direction of her parents and Kiki.

"Well, ask them if you can come and be quick about it," Anzu gave him a funny look but he just kept smiling his reassuring smile and she couldn't tell a thing from it.

"Um…okay," she said grinning and turning to face her parents, "mum, dad, can I go with my friends?" she asked.

"Alright dear, be home by twelve," her mother muttered not really minding what her daughter did as long as Kiki was alright, not being a nuisance and she didn't have to do anything. Anzu loved them to bits, really she did, but for goodness sakes, they had to be the laziest people on Earth, and that really wasn't anything to boast about.

"Yeah, whatever," she called back; although they weren't really listening anymore and wouldn't know what time she came home anyway. Grabbing her towel, umbrella and bag of clothing and miscellaneous items, she followed Ryou who was blushing slightly from her slightly too revealing bathing suit.

She followed Ryou along the edge of the sea, the actual beach wasn't too crowded which was pretty good seeing as usually it was packed. Going beyond a large rock separating one half of the beach from the other she saw Jounouchi and Mai taking swings at each other with seawater. Seto was laying stretched out in a fold out plastic chair, it was kind of surprising seeing the Seto Kaiba on a piece of cheep plastic. Anzu looked him up and down appreciatively, admiring his six-pack and short-cropped brown hair.

Yuugi had grown and was now just under an inch shorter than her, or maybe it was just that she hadn't grown that much. But he was sitting on his towel rubbing sun cream onto his arms and four-packed stomach. He and Yami still had to share a body, though not for lack of trying, however, if Shadi, the guardian of the Millennium Items, couldn't figure it out then, who could?

Laying out her towel next to that of Yuugi's as Ryou walked over to his own she grinned down at the tri-haired boy. Rubbing his well-lubricated hands together for a moment before glancing up to her and smiling warmly. "Anzu!" he cried out in delight, "it's so good to see you again," he informed.

"You say it like I haven't seen you in years Yuugi, your making me feel old," she joked, laughing lightly.

"Oh no, we can't have that," replied Yuugi laughing, they were both beaming at each other when Mai came over.

"Hey there girlfriend," she called as she sat down on the end of Anzu's towel so as not get too covered in sand.

"Hey Mai, how've you been?" Anzu replied smiling as she embraced her friend, who was substantially taller than she, although it wasn't surprising seeing as Mai was four years her senior.

You'd think, with the age difference and all, that Mai would go four someone older than herself but no. Both Anzu and Shizuka knew perfectly well that Mai would love it if Jou asked her to marry him. However, despite Shizuka's subtle hints Jou was still unable to grasp his relationship with Mai fully.

"Just fine, hey Yuugi, be a dear," she said looking at Yuugi with her brilliant, flashing violet eyes.

"Sure Mai," Yuugi replied, fully understanding the 'girl time' request, he walked off towards where Jou was coming out of the sea.

"So girl, where were you yesterday? I called and you were out," she asked giving Anzu a smirk that clearly stated that Anzu had been out with a boy. Anzu easily comprehended the other female's expression and blushed lightly from the implication, and the fact that to some extent she was with a boy, but not for the same reasons that Mai was thinking.

"Well, I went for a job interview," Anzu explained smiling at Mai who nodded and smiled back understandingly, but Anzu could have sworn that she could see something else in Mai's eyes.

"And…" she pressed, obviously wanting to know if Anzu had got the job or not.

"Well I got the job and then went out for the day," she explained, she was lying and she knew it but how else was she going to keep Mai and the others from knowing where she was working, and more importantly, who she was working for.

"Is that so?" Mai asked, giving Anzu the one eyebrow, Anzu licked her lips, they'd gone dry and her hands had balled into fists and began to sweat, did she suspect?

"Then why is it, Miss Mazaki, that I saw you going up to the Ishtar Manor?" Mai asked smirking slightly at Anzu who had gone completely white now.

"You can't tell anyone, especially Yami, he'd flip, he doesn't even know that their back in Domino, please Mai, promise me," Anzu pleaded clasping her hands and going onto her knees looking desperately up at the flabbergasted Mai.

"Alright, alright darling, I won't, don't you worry, no one will know but me," the reassuring smiling she gave Anzu soon turned into a sly grin, "So what are you doing there anyway?" she inquired.

"I um, I work there," Anzu explained sheepishly, hanging her head low to hide her embarrassment.

"Oh, okay then," Mai said nodding, "well, gotta love you and leave you," she finished and walked off to her towel and proceeded to apply more sun cream to her skin.

"What was all that about?" ask a deep, rhythmic voice breathed into her ear, causing Anzu to shiver and sigh. Two strong arms slipped leisurely around her waist and a well-toned chest was pushing gently against her back.

"Oh just girl stuff," she replied, relaxing against the person behind her, closing her eyes and basking in his warmth.

"Then I guess it is far beyond my comprehension," he joked, Anzu laughed lightly and turned around in his arms so she was sidewise on and could turn her head to face him properly. Yami was smiling warmly at her, he really cared about her and she cared about him, though they had done no more than kissed, Yami wasn't as bold as Malik had been. Hold on a minute, was she comparing him to Malik? No, this was her day with her friends Malik wasn't going to come between her and fun.

"Just about, yeh," she replied snuggling into his chest, un-like Yuugi, Yami's version of their body had a six-pack and he was taller. Looking up she brushed some of his golden hair out of his eyes and back behind his eyes, of course, it didn't take long for it to fall back into place but…it was the thought that counted.

"You are always more beautiful every time I see you," Yami commented taking her chin between his thumb and forefinger.

She blushed and smiled, "I'm sure that you are exaggerating Yami," she whispered as he inched nearer to her.

"I highly doubt that," he replied kissing her deeply, her eyes slipped closed as the kiss echoed through her blood and her heart rate picked up. Her arms reached up and wrapped around his neck as his grip tightened around her waist pulling her ever closer.

Breaking away he left her dazed and out of breath, taking in a large gulp of air she opened her eyes slowly to meet his charming features.

"I could never grow tired of you Anzu," he assured her loosening his grip on her slightly so she could turn to face him properly. Her hands were still on his shoulders and from the way he had her on his lap she was slightly levitated above him.

"I'm flattered Yami, not every girl gets commented, or kissed for that matter, like that by one of the top ranking Duellists in the world," she replied sighing again. "Do think Seto will ever be very sociable?" Anzu asked as her straying eyes fell upon the splayed out figure of the CEO of Kaiba corp.

"That's a bit off topic, but to answer your question, it will take time, the only real person he's socialized with is Mokuba and even then it's on a business level," Yami replied looking intently at the chestnut haired boy.

"Oh well, I suppose no one can fix every wrong in the world," she replied smiling at Yami who grinned back.

"If anyone could it would have to be you," he replied kissing her flushing cheek gently.

"You flatter me Yami," she said waving her hand dismissively.

"I should hope I do," he continued, Anzu rolled her eyes and smiled, making her eyes sparkle brighter.

A high pitch ring, the theme from 'Titanic' to be exact, came from her bag, getting up she scrambled unsteadily towards her bag. Her hand dived into it to retrieve her phone; pulling it out hastily she pushed it up against her ear and hit the call button.

"Hello," she called, slightly breathlessly into the phone, tucking some loose, wispy strands of auburn hair behind her ear delicately.

"Hi Anzu, it's me Shizuka," came the voice of the sixteen year old girl with warm brown eyes identical to that fop her brother and long brown hair.

"Oh Shizuka, hi, where are you?" Anzu inquired, excited, it was good to hear from Shizuka again.

"Well, I'm in town right now, although I had to escape through a shop window to get away from Honda and Otogi, I don't get it, they wont leave me alone," replied Shizuka, sighing into the mouthpiece.

"Aw, you poor thing, well, why don't you go home, grab your bathing suit and come and join us?" asked Anzu grinning.

"Can't, my suit's too small and I am not going to go back into town, Otogi or Honda will find me and I don't even want to go there," Shizuka said exasperatedly.

"Well, head towards the Ice Cream parlour, I'll meet you there and we can have a girl's day out," Anzu suggested.

"But what about the boys?" Shizuka asked, Anzu couldn't see her expression but it was something alone the implicated lines of 'Are you crazy?'

"If we see them we can tell them that Jou and the others are looking for them and it's urgent," and if they don't believe it, we can just tell them to go away," at Anzu's second suggestion, both laughed.

"All right then, but bring Mai, then we can really have a girl's day out, not to mention a night out," Shizuka suggested.

"Yeh, that'll be great, just let me see if she wants to come," after receiving approval from the shorter brunette Anzu put her hand over the mouth piece of her phone, turned and called to Mai, "Hey Mai, do want to come out with me and Shizuka?"

"Yeh, okay honey," Mai called back, sitting up from where she had been getting a back tan and beginning to adorn herself with cloths.

"Well, that's a yes, meet you there soon," Anzu relayed relieving her hand from the mouthpiece.

"Okay then," Shizuka chirped into the other end and hung up, Anzu did the same and headed over to where Yami was still sitting on her towel.

"Must you go so soon?" he asked, with a slightly hurt look in his eyes.

"It's been ages since I had some proper girl time Yami," Anzu reasoned but Yami still looked hurt, he stood up all the same when she rolled up her towel.

"It's also been a long time since I spent some quality time with you," he said taking her hands in his after she'd pulled on her plaited, denim mini skirt over her bikini bottoms.

"Oh Yami, don't worry," she said putting her nose to his, "that is something I can fix," she finished, pulling away. Reaching down into her bag she grabbed her spaghetti strap, baby blue top and pulled it over her head, tugging the rim down over her exposed stomach.

"Make sure you do," Yami ordered, a little huffily, but Anzu could see he was joking. Kissing her gently on the lips he released her, she nodded to him and headed over to where Mai was.

Yuugi then took over and Yami appeared to him in his spiritual form beside the smaller boy. "Do you love her Yami?" Yuugi asked, looking at Anzu and not the spirit.

"Yes Aibou, very much," Yami replied looking at Yuugi as a gust of wind flew by, ruffling his hair and then back to Anzu as she and Mai left.

"Do you love her enough, to let her go?" Yuugi asked, Yami just looked ta him, but did not answer, what sort of question was that anyway?

So Anzu and Mai headed off to the nearest stop they could and caught a cab into town, straight to the Ice Cream parlour. They stepped out and while Mai paid the driver who was convinced into charging them half price if Mai gave him a kiss, Anzu headed over to Shizuka who was picking lazily at a two mounds of vanilla and chocolate ice cream.

"Hey there Shizuka-chan," Anzu said pulling out a seat and sitting down in it as Mai came over to join them.

"Anzu-san, it's been a long time," Shizuka commented smiling brightly at the sight of her two best friends aside form her brother.

"No need for formalities between friends Shizuka-chan," Anzu commented laughing lightly.

"Yeh, we are all friends here, we don't need any of this 'san' business," Mai commented smiling also.

Anzu was about to add something when she felt her foot jerk from where her bag strap was rapped around her ankle and the next thing she knew some random bloke was running off with her bag. She didn't sit there staring in horror for long before all three bolted up and began to run after him shouting things along the lines of 'stop'.

They didn't have to run far however when the green haired man was pushed over backwards, still clutching Anzu's bag by someone Anzu recognised all too well. Messy blonde bangs hanging in his fuming purple eyes stood Malik, wearing a loose lilac and brown pants. "I'd suggest that you give the her back her bag," he cracked his knuckles twice, "or I'll be forced to do something drastic."

The guy looked horrified, dropped the bag, scrambled up and made a run for it, he hadn't said anything properly, just stuttered and whimpered like an injured dog. Bending down Malik scooped up Anzu's bag and looked at it with disgust, the group of people that had gathered to watch what might have been a most unpleasant scene soon dispersed.

Shoving the bag into Anzu's chest, almost knocking her over backwards if Mai hadn't been there to grab her, Malik growled, "You're pathetic."

He then began to walk away, Anzu looked slightly hurt from his comment but called after him, "Thanks anyway, for helping me I mean!"

He stopped, hands in his front pockets and turned his head to the side so he could see her, "Look, I didn't do it for you, I did so I wouldn't have to listen to your incessant screaming."

"Well excuse me for existing," she called back, she was getting angry now, irritated even, if he'd been closer she'd have slapped him hard for what he'd said but she had more control than to stomp up to him and try.

"To be honest," he chuckled darkly, "I don't really care, a whore like you is none of my concern, but I'm sure the Pharaoh doesn't mind you company." Laughing at his own sick joke he began to walk away.

Turning to Shizuka Anzu said, "Wait for me here girls, this won't take long," they nodded and with that she ran after Malik so she was in front of him.

"What's wrong with you, you're acting so much differently," Anzu accused, at first he'd acted like a somewhat charming man, now he was being an arrogant jerk.

"Oh come off it, you didn't really think I meant any of that crap did you?" he grunted and then smirked down at her slightly shaking form. "That is pathetic, it was just a test, must people ran out screaming, though I'm not surprised, being what you are, " he looked her up and down now for effect, "I suppose you enjoyed it!"

This time she let him walk away, narrowing her eyes at him before heading back to Mai and Shizuka.

"What was all that about?" asked Shizuka, "and have we met that guy before, he looks slightly familiar?"

"It was nothing Shizuka-chan," Anzu replied, "and it was Malik Ishtar, you know, from Battle City?"

"Oh my God," Shizuka cried, clapping a hand to her mouth in surprise, blushing slightly, neither Anzu nor Mai even wanted to know why.

"Well if that was Malik, then he's obviously been working out," Mai said smirking a little bit. Anzu turned to her in shock, I mean, this was a past enemy she was talking about. And for that matter, she was talking about him as though he could have been her boyfriend.

"Oh for goodness sakes," Anzu sighed and then began to drag the other two off for a hard day of shopping.

**Well, there you have it, chapter 2 or chapter 3, I don't really care. Anyway, thanks 2 all those who have review, thanks to those who will/might review and I hope you enjoyed it! :-)**

**Please check out this site, http:// uk. geocities. com/ charlotte_mattey/**

**Just take out the spaces! ^_^**


	4. So many fates

Pulling up in front of the Ishtar manor Anzu sighed heavily, Malik had acted so differently yesterday from what he had when they had first met for the second time. But as he said, it was part of a test and what did she care anyway she had Yami after all. Sighing again she closed the door to her car and locked the door, looking at it for a moment before turning to the intercom.

"Hello, Isis Ishtar speaking," came the digitalised voice of Isis through the speaker.

"Hi Isis, it's me, Anzu," she replied holding down that annoying golden button and speaking into the mike, loudly and clearly.

"Okay, doors open now," she informed as the gates slid open with a still un-oiled gate. Anzu removed her finger form the button and headed through the gate and up to the large white building. She placed her hand on the large wooden door that barred her passage the Ishtar manor but as soon as she did it was opened and she came face to face with Rishid.

"Good morning Mazaki-san," he said in monotone, freaking Anzu out because of the fact that he sounded like a robot.

"Morning," she replied worriedly as she passed him, heading up the stairs to the room where she knew her uniform was, it was so embarrassing.

She slipped on the dress and couldn't help her hands as the subconsciously reached to straighten the crinkles in the dress, maybe it was just out of habit maybe it was something else but it was confusing.

She grabbed a dusting flannel and a broom and began to dust the floor, under the carpets and everything, sweeping it into a pan and depositing it in a rubbish bag she had brought. She sighed dusting the paintings and artefacts that line the walls of the many different hallways of the mansion.

---13:00---

It was one O'clock and Anzu was on her lunch break except she had forgotten to bring any lunch and she had been working for five hours straight. Her hands and feet hurt a great deal and she'd bumped into a Malik a few times, each time he called her something different, 'bitch', 'Pharaoh's whore' and, well you get the gist.

She knew where the kitchen was and thought that maybe they could give her something; she walked through the halls carefully looking round corners before walking in case Malik was there.

She passed through the dining room that was covered in deep scarlet drapes and a long mahogany table stretched across the length of the room. The small door she'd come through was nothing compared to the huge pair of double doors on the other side of the room that was the entrance to the kitchen. A large window covering at least half the wall from floor to ceiling at one end of the room.

A large crystal chandelier hung from the white ceiling and several unlit candles stood proudly erect in golden stands evenly spaced over the table. No wall lights at all, this was a very old fashioned room in dead, but so was the rest of the mansion.

She paused to admire the room glancing around she could just see the kind of people that used to actually live in this kind of house. Fine looking ladies with their hair up and larger gowns, they were linking arms with men in black suits with white shirts and bow ties or ties.

There stood Bakura, not Ryou but his Yami, in a green open shirt and blue and white striped muscle t underneath. Tight fitting jeans covered the white haired man's long legs and a pair of old looking, worn sneakers adorned his feet. Bakura…hey wait just a minute! Bakura?

Anzu shook her head, auburn hair flying around her; she blinked a couple of times before looking back around the room in earnest. He wasn't there, it must have been part of her imagination, but she had been imagining a whole different time period.

What was going on? She could have sworn, although it is wrong to swear, that she had seen him but why?

Then she realised something, the figures in the black world that was featured in her dream, the voices that she thought she recognised, she did recognise them; they had been Bakura and Malik's Yami. But that was even more confusing, why was she seeing them, they were in the Shadow Realm, that would explain the black in the dream.

Anzu didn't have a Millennium Item though, so how could she see into the shadow realm and through the thin layer that kept the two worlds apart.

Still, Anzu continued past the table and through the large room tot eh double doors leading to the kitchen. She opened the door and was met with a face full of dense steam, droplets of water forming lightly on her cheeks. She shook herself and stepped inside, listening to the many men and a few women bustling around with large and small pots alike, the room was warm and many smells drifted through the air, intoxicating Anzu.

"Who are you child," a rather obese woman roared at her waving a large silver metal spoon at her.

"Um…Anzu," the brunette went cross-eyed to loo at the end of the spoon that was resting on her nose.

"Out child out, we don't need no disturbances here!" the woman bellowed over the noise pushing Anzu in the centre of her chest with the spoon forcing her backwards.

"I'll deal with this Mary, you get back to work," came a loud, manly voice and the obese woman nodded and lumbered off. Behind her had been standing a tall man; taller than Anzu at any rate, with cropped black hair and dark blue eyes.

He smiled charmingly and Anzu felt her knees go weak, smiling gently back, "What are you doing here girl?" he asked, no malice in his voice, no anger, simply charming.

"Well I was wondering if there was something I could eat," Anzu said, she felt the heat rise in her cheeks tinted them a light rosy colour, she looked down and fiddled with her hands behind her back, shuffling her feet.

"Oh okay, follow me," the man said turning and motioning for her to follow over his shoulder with his finger, "what was your name?" he asked as they made their way through the kitchen to a back room where roes of sandwiches were aligned on shelves.

"Anzu, my name is Anzu," she said.

"Mine's Tom and if you want a sandwich then you can have one," Tom explained gesturing towards the racks, Anzu nodded and thanked him, picking one and beginning to eat.

"Thanks, that really kind of you and I'm sorry for any inconvenience I've caused," Anzu apologised.

"It's okay," replied Tom heading back into the kitchens making Anzu smiled to herself, after which she headed off to continue her work.

It was a while after that when Anzu was cleaning the front hall floor with a mop that Malik walked in the front door, trailing mud behind him. Now of course, the front hall was large and it had taken Anzu a long time to get it so you could see your face in it and he just came in and ruined it. She glared at him but he just smirked, as though he found it amusing, no surprise there, "Aw, what's wrong? Is poor little Anzu upset with me?" he then began to walk away laughing.

"You son of a gun," Anzu hissed but Malik spun round to face her.

"What did you call me?" he demanded.

"A son of a gun," Anzu repeated clearly, glaring all the while.

"May I remind you little Anzu, that you work for me?" Malik sneered striding up to her until he was standing right in front of her towering her slightly, she still had to look up to meet his angry eyes.

"Your point?" she growled, but she cried out when his hand darted up and grabbed the hair behind her head and wrenched her head backwards.

"Not only is your job it my hands but," he leaned forward to whisper in her ear, she shivered as his warm breath tickled her ear, "so is your life."

She struggled but he would not give way sop she replied, "But that's murder!"

"Who would know, I could do it so quickly in this house that no one would hear you scream and no one would know would they?" he smirked as Anzu's expression became one of horror, she had to tell Yami.

"I suppose you're thinking of people who could save you, your girl friends are the only ones that know I'm here and they wouldn't be much help against me now would they my dear?" he hissed in her ear making her shiver again.

"Yami would stop you, just like before," Anzu replied wincing in pain.

"Yami? If I'm correct he doesn't even know I'm back in Domino, let alone you here, with me," he moved away from her ear, his lips pressed gently against her neck, trailing down so slowly, talking all the while. "And even if you told him, wouldn't he like to know how you'd come so close to me that I could have threatened you," Anzu's eyes widened, from what he said and the fact that his tongue had just licked her collar bone.

"You bastard," Anzu gasped.

"That I am, but still, Yami doesn't know that you work for me and I wonder what he'd say," Anzu was shaking in fear by now. "What if he didn't hear it from you?" he wondered allowed

"You wouldn't," Anzu gasped again.

"Oh my dear, that's the least of your problems, I mean, just look at our position," he smirked raising his head so he was at eye level with her releasing her hair from hiss strong grip.

She looked around; somehow he'd backed her up against a wall, into a corner no less, one hand gripping her wrists behind her back and the other at her neck. He was barely an inch away from her nose and she was breathing heavily.

"There are two security cameras in this room, one of which has constantly been pointing right at us," Anzu was starring at him in shock.

"One shot from that could tell Yami all the things he doesn't want to know, or I could make him a little home video with some edited sound effects that we both know would make your boyfriend very upset with you and angry or maybe jealous of me," Malik smirked.

Anzu understood know why Isis had trouble finding staff, if this was what Malik was like on a daily basis she didn't want to be here, but that was just it, that was why he behaved so out of character on her first day to test her metal so to speak. Well, she was stronger than that!

"Please no, please don't do anything of the kind," she begged pressing forwards into him, he could feel her chest rubbing unintentionally against his own.

He leaned forwards, "I'll think about it," he whispered into her ear, "but I may want something in return," he said, once more trailing his mouth down her neck to rest at her collarbone. She was breathing heavier now and leaning into him rather than on the wall, it was uncomfortable with her hands digging into her rear and she didn't want Malik to have that satisfaction seeing as his hand was hold her wrists together. It was then that she noticed that he was sucking on her neck and she gasped, struggling a little.

He drew away and licked it once before coming back up to eye level, "Be good now Miss Mazaki, you don't know where the cameras in this place are," and with that, he walked away smirking, but this time carrying his boots so they didn't drop on the floor.

Anzu slumped back against the wall breathing heavily, she gulped for air and felt up to the patch on her neck where it was still wet, she knew there'd be a red mark but nothing that wouldn't fade in a day or two. But that wasn't all she was worried about, her body temperature had increased and she missed the warmth that his body had provided.

"Oh God…"

---Shizuka and Jounouchi---

"Big brother, do you feel anything for Mai?" Shizuka asked looking up at her brother who was walking beside her.

"Yeh," Jou answered looking back at Shizuka uncertainly.

"What then?" she pursued, if Jou wasn't going to realise on his own then she'd have to make him see.

"Well you know," was Jou's hesitant, rather vague reply.

"No," Shizuka replied sternly, "I don't!"

"Well, this and that," Jou replied grinning, pleased with himself, Shizuka wasn't though.

"Out with it Jou, love, like or hate," Shizuka pressed, God, why was her brother so in adept at disclosing his feelings.

"Like," Shizuka raised an eyebrow, "crush," Shizuka raised both of her eyebrows, "oh okay fine, I love her okay, you got that?" Jou cried, attracting quite a lot of attention from his outburst and all the waving his arms were doing.

"Okay, that's enough Jou," Shizuka said sighed and grabbing the front of Jou's shirt dragging him along. People still stared so she stopped and growled at all the people, "Well, what are you looking at?" and they turned away abruptly.

"Sis, weren't you a tad bit mean to those people?" Jou asked as eh was dragged along.

Shizuka turned to him, her hair swaying and grinned, "Nope," it was Jou's turn to sigh, why oh why did he have to have a sister like this, why?

They carried on in silence, Jou had his head hung and Shizuka looked at him confused and upset, not understanding why her brother wouldn't talk to her. This was what she figured was the silent treatment; he was obviously upset with her.

"I have it!" he suddenly cried grinning like a maniac and jumping high into the air.

Shizuka almost screamed and stumbled backwards grasping her heart and breathing heavily, eyes wide she called out, "Jou what is the matter with you?" she demanded.

"I know how to make Mai love me!" Jou cried.

"Well, how?" Shizuka asked, excited that something had actually registered in her brother's brain.

"I'm going to ask her to marry me," Jou stated with determination in his eyes.

"Oh my God Jou, that's fantastic," Shizuka squealed getting excited at the prospects, "we have to go buy an engagement ring!"

She began to drag him along by the wrist but he dug his heels in and pulled against her, being bigger and stronger than her made her stop, "Wait sis," he commanded calming down in the space of a second and going serious.

"Why, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing's wrong, it's just that," he grinned, "I've already got an engagement ring," she looked at him in surprise, no, disbelief, "its mum's engagement ring."

"Oh Jou," Shizuka gasped putting a hand to her mouth.

"She told me to take care of it and if, if I ever settled down then, I could use it and I'm going to do just that," Jou said resolutely.

"I'm so proud of you big brother," Shizuka declared smiling broadly and wrapping her arms tightly around her brother, maybe he wasn't so blind after all, pardon the minor pun.

---Yuugi---

The small boy sighed and grinned up at the ceiling wiping his brow of the beads of sweat that had form while he'd been restocking the shop. He went into the back of the shop and collapsed wearily into the couch in front of the T.V. He got a bit of a shock when his Yami materialized beside him, come to think of it; he was the only one with a Yami now.

"Hey Yami, what's up?" Yuugi asked relaxing into the inviting softness of the sofa.

"I wanted to talk to you Yuugi," the smaller teen nodded his head in acknowledgment, "about that comment you made the other day at the beach."

"Which one, I'm sure I made many," Yuugi joked laughing a little but calming down quickly when the expression on his Yami's face did not change. Yami remained scowling which made Yuugi frown in puzzlement.

"When you said 'Do you love her enough, to let her go'," Yami quoted, "why did you say that?" the Pharaoh asked.

"Because, well," Yuugi smiled sadly, "people change Yami she may want to move on and you," he faltered, looking away from his Yami no longer able to hold his piercing gaze, "you've got to be able to let her go, to make her own decisions."

"Are you saying she'd cheat on me?" Yami demanded getting a bit angry now.

"No, Anzu isn't that sort of person, I'm just saying," Yuugi hesitated and in that second Yami interrupted.

"What, you're saying what?" he yelled, "that I'm not good enough for her? Is that it Yuugi? Or are you jealous? Well, are you?" and with that he disappeared into his soul room and Yuugi felt the door in his mind slam shut.

Yuugi winced and said to himself, "Oh Yami, that's not what I meant at all, I just hope you don't go too high otherwise," he looked up as if to emphasis his point, "you're fall may be too great for even you."

---Yami---

Yuugi may or may not have known but still, Yami had been listening to that closing comment and he sighed, "I'm sorry Yuugi, but still," he paused a moment to frown thoughtfully, "what fall, why?" So many questions, so little headspace, it gave Yami a head ache even though he couldn't actually feel anything because he was in his mind but still, the principal was there.

---The Shadow Realm---

"You know we're going to be here for quite a long time," commented a low rhythmic voice from the shadows.

"Marik?" a harsher voice demanded and a tall, lean figure clad in jeans, a blue and white stripped t-shirt, green shirt and sneakers spun around to face the direction of the voice. Long, messy, silver hair floated on the non existent wind and came to rest once more against the figures back, scarlet brown eyes narrowed.

"Who else could be here to torment you?" the first voice came again and Marik emerged from the shadows, blond hair striking up as usual, rogue wisps flowed over his shoulders, forehead and ears. His dark lavender eyes half lidded as usual and focused on the other, pupils dilated to tiny black dots, pin pricks on the horizon so to speak.

"Why are you here?" The white haired man growled balled his hands into fist, his fingers curling and his nails biting into his palms.

"Now Bakura I was just lonely, all I wanted as some company," Marik explained striding up to Bakura until he was right in front of him. There wasn't much difference in their height, only Bakura was about two centimetres shorter and his hair didn't count for much in perspective of Marik's.

Bakura snorted, "Yeh right."

"I was wondering," Marik continued despite Bakura's obvious scorn not to mention hostility, "If you could help me in that department."

"Not in a million years Marik," Bakura growled.

"Funny that isn't it," Marik laughed and Bakura scowled, gritting his teeth, Marik then stopped laughing and continued, "we're beings of eternity, a million years will go by but you don't mean it literally do you?" Marik sneered.

Bakura's eyes narrowed dangerously but he didn't move, he'd learned to wait for the right moment.

"However, it gets kind of boring in this place don't you agree, I mean, we can't kill each other here," Marik suggested but Bakura just continued to watch him, he could feel the blond pressing his chest to his own making him wonder what Marik was up to.

"Why?" Bakura growled.

"Always to the point, no foreplay I see," Marik commented slipping his arms around Bakura's neck, Bakura's eyes widened to their normal size, he raised an eyebrow and gritted his teeth. He shrugged trying to ease Marik off him but Marik didn't budge, he only smirked in what appeared to be triumph.

"Get off of me Marik!" Bakura demanded but was met with no such action.

"But we're both bored I can tell, and we aren't going anywhere for a long time," Marik grinned showing his teeth. "So I though of a way to cure that problem," Marik said pressing his body to Bakura's, making Bakura start and arch his back but this was playing right into Marik's hands.

"And what's that?" Bakura demanded trying to struggle form Marik's grasp but failing, the other hand wrapped one arm around the spirits waist, hooked one leg behind Bakura's own and his other arm was steadying his head.

"You, me," Marik started moving his head close to Bakura's, too close for the spirits liking, "screw."

It was at that moment, just before Marik had his way, that Bakura brought his knee up and into Marik's groin making him double over and Bakura shoved him off.

"No way in hell you horny homosexual bastard," Bakura growled walking away from the coughing and spluttering Egyptian.

**Nice long chapter to make up for my abscense, sorry i haven't update din so long. I've hand school and only just got back from Mallorca. And then I had to do my holiday work and get over my writers block and bloody hell it's a miracle I even wrote something let alone post.**

**BTW, who should Isis be with?**

**a) SK  
b) YY  
c) YM (this would b complicated but I could try)  
d) RO  
e) HH  
f) Shadi  
g) RB  
h) Yuugi**

**current pairings are**

**Jou / Mai  
Yami / Anzu (will change)  
Anzu / ???**

**and what will become of our dear spirits caught in the shadow realm? Well you'll have to keep reading to find that out!**


	5. Dear Diary

05.08.03

Dear Diary,

Malik's odd, do you know that? I went to Isis and asked how he behaved on a regular basis and she said he was really mean, 'a stuck up prat' to be more precise. He keeps hitting no me at random occasions, threatening me the next and sometimes ignoring me completely. When I told Isis that she said that if I quite she wouldn't be happy about it but she didn't answer my question.

I haven't quite my job and I'm doing really well I think.

Mum and Dad of somewhere in Thailand, at least I'm here with my friends.

Signing off

~Anzu

3

21.09.03

Dear Diary,

It's very odd you know and Isis assures me that Malik has taken a liking to me or something because he's being nice to me. I mean, he came all those months ago, it seems ages really, and was acting quite differently from when I'd last seen him but now…oh I don't know.

Anyway, Shizuka says Jou's already got Mai a Christmas present, it's so sweet and Yami and I have got a date coming up. He's taking me out somewhere, I'm not sure where.

I'm going to tell him then, the visions have been getting so much more vivid, it's Yami Bakura and Yami no Malik, I've seen them clear as day and I'm sure Bakura's seen me but I'm not 100% positive.

I think that's all.

Signing off

~Anzu

3

29.10.03

Dear Diary,

It's almost Halloween, me and the rest of the gang are going trick or treating, yeh we might be a bit big for it but who wants to miss out on dressing up in costumes eh? Shizuka's going as a fairy but I don't see how that related to being scary, Mai's a red leather bound she-devil and I am a rogue witch.

Yami's going because Yuugi didn't like the idea so Yami is coming as a vampire and Ryou is planning to walk around with a carved pumpkin on his head an old jacket stuffed with straw and baggy trousers.

The idea is actually really funny and I can't wait, it's going to be so much fun!

Signing off

~Anzu

3

**I won't continue if some1 doesn't review!**


	6. Double the festivities

**Minor LIME!!!**

---31st October, 10:00---

It was Halloween and ten O'clock at night by Anzu's watch, her friends would be here soon to pick her up and then they would be off to terrorize domino. She was wearing a black dress, the skirt ended just above mid-thigh and the sleeves were ruffles. She had a scarlet ribbon about five inches in width wrapped around her tummy and tied in a big bow with trailing streams at the back. A little red bow was pinned on the centre of the neck along with black boots that went to her knees and had fake rubies in the centre.

She wore, instead of gloves, black sock like arm bands stretching form her wrist to half way up her upper arm, rimmed at both ends with red on both arms. Her hat was black with a large rim about three times the size of her head in diameter. Instead of coming to point like conventional hats it bent back, downwards and then up and out again creating an upside down v with a flick. It to, had a large red ribbon raped around the top of the rim with a bow at the back and little streams.

She wore black mascara and some gloss, black gothic type earrings adorned the pale lobes and she had painted her nails black.

She grabbed her oak wood broom with twigs at the end and headed for the door just as the doorbell rang. She opened the door and smiled as her friends cheered, "Happy Halloween."

"Hi guys," she greeted bouncing slightly in excitement, stepping out and closing the door, her heels clicking slightly.

"Hey Anzu," Yami replied in his deep voice pecking her gently on the cheek and holding her hand, she smiled at him and looked around, surveying everyone.

Mai was wearing, instead of her usual purple, a red, leather mini skirt, shorter than her own skirt with a split up the right hand side so you could see a fair amount of thigh. A red strip of leather barely covered her boobs which seemed to bulge in the confined space, Jou was finding it hard not to drool she noted. A pair of glittering red horns on a red hair band was in Mai's hair that was held back slightly in an almost ponytail by a scrap piece of red leather and elastic.

She wore coal black eyeliner, red mascara and eye-shadow; she also wore very dark lipstick and gloss over the top. Anzu also noted that she had painted her nails red.

Attached to the back of the skirt was, like the horns, a glittering tail that reached just past her knees and ended in a point that looked like a spade in cards. She was wearing red leather high heals that went up past her knees and bearing a glittering red triton, red hoop earrings dangling merrily, bouncing as she moved.

"Hey Hun," she drawled swinging an arm around Anzu's shoulders making the smaller girl sway with the weight.

Anzu saw Shizuka making drinking motions and Anzu rolled her eyes, she could tell Mai new what she was doing and had probably only had a glass full of something but still.

Shizuka was in dark robes, like a kimono, with a larger brown bow around her waist and foliage patterns adorned the strip up the left hand side of her leg. The material on the sleeves was tinted a forest green but you could see her arms through the material. She had green eyes shadow on and several green hair ties in her hair holding little plaits in place. She wore a leafy crown and there was also a pair of pale green; translucent wings were attached to the back of her costume.

She had fake nails on that curved downwards and ended in a point painted green of course.

Anzu blushed when she took a good look at Yami; he was wearing black leather that fit him very tightly. He had on trousers that went all the way down to his ankles where a pair of sharp, black boots poked out form the rims. The top was sleeveless and showed off a great amount of his tanned, very well muscled stomach. A black cape with red lining that tied with red string around his neck and larger curved top that went to his nose. He had eyeliner on and she could see a pair of fangs, obviously fake, gleaming in the porch light.

He had buckles around his wrists, studded with silver and a matching neck buckle. His upper arms bore two buckles whose ends protruded from his body, bent slightly against the cape. His belt had a silver, oval shaped tab over the front to hide the buckle and on it was a black bat.

"I've missed you Anzu," he said, his arms around her waist and his lips against her neck setting her nerves on fire.

She quickly scanned around to see Jou in a beige dog suite, with floppy ears and spots that much resembled the one he had been made to wear after his humiliating defeat by Duke Devlin.

Ryou, as promise had a carved out pumpkin on his head watching her through the haphazard, zigzag eye slits. His skinny frame helped the attire, what with the bits of straw stuffed in his jacket and trousers and shoes.

"I missed you too Yami," she replied wrapping her arms around him as he kissed her neck lightly.

"Alright, as cute as this scene is, going to have to break it up, come on you two, we haven't got all night," Mai stated as she took hold of the two and proceeded to lead the mismatched group off and into the night.

It was some hours later, near enough to eleven, Jou had taken a tired Shizuka home half an hour ago; Mai had gone with them to help. Ryou had decided the pumpkin was too stuffy so he took it off, then he reasoned that it didn't look right without the pumpkin so he headed home.

So it was Anzu and Yami strolling towards the game shop, "Did you enjoy tonight Anzu?" Yami asked stopping and turning her to face him as they stood outside the game shop.

"Yes Yami," she smiled sweetly, "very much."

"So did I, especially because," he stepped up close to her forcing her look directly into his eyes, "I got to spend time with you." Anzu could not respond to that comment because Yami's mouth was once again on her own setting her body on fire and her heart beating to the rate of a humming bird's wings. His tongue sweeping her own making her dizzy as blood pumped through her brain.

He drew away and Anzu's eyes fluttered open from their closed position to gaze into scarlet orbs so unlike her own. Yami's hands, which had previously been resting lightly on her waist slid down over her hips to the hem of the dress, this made Anzu a little nervous but she didn't draw away.

Yami face was still very close to hers, his nose on her own, "You're very beautiful Anzu," he whispered. Anzu gasped; one form the statement, two from Yami's lips once more claiming her own and thirdly and mostly, she felt his hands slide up and under her skirt to play with the hem of her thong.

When he pulled away the second time, he didn't move his hands, only smiled invitingly at Anzu. "Yami," she swallowed nervously, she could feel his thumbs massaging her thighs, "I," she put her hands to his chest and he stopped looking apologetic.

"Sorry Anzu, do you want me to walk you home?" he asked removing his hands and grasping her own.

"No, I'll be fine thanks Yami," she replied smiling, "just, slow okay," Yami nodded in understanding and she began to walk away, "goodnight Yami."

"Goodnight Anzu," Yami called and Anzu heard the door of the game shop open and shut.

She was about half way home when she realised that the route she was taking was one that would make her go past the Ishtar Mansion. She bit her lip and decided it would be fun to go and knock on the door, she might get sacked for it but she doubted it.

So, she entered the gates with her ID card and made her way up to the front door where she knocked. She heard the creaking of floorboards indicating someone was coming; it was Isis who opened the door.

She rubbed her eyes and brushed some raven hair back over he shoulder and then looked, "Trick or Treat," Anzu hissed in a voice that sounded like a dying hamster.

Isis screamed would have leaped about ten fee tin the air if she could have done, Anzu chuckled but it was her turn to be scared when she found the barrel of a cold gun pointing between her eyes. Her gaze wondered lazily upwards, along a muscular, tanned arm and eventually into the lilac pools of Malik Ishtar.

"Malik, put that down now," Isis commanded sternly, glaring at her brother, who silently but obviously reluctantly clicked the safety and lowered the gun. "Give it to me," Isis ordered, snatching the gun from Malik's loosened grip, "Anzu dear," she said turning to Anzu and smiling, "don't do that."

"I'm sorry," Isis nodded.

"Yes well, Malik," she said sternly glaring at him through narrowed cerulean eyes, "I'll leave you to apologise and if you don't I'll break your motorcycle," with that Isis marched of matter-of-factly.

"You will tell her I apologised or-" he was interrupted by Anzu putting a hand on his shoulder and smiling.

"You could threaten me, or it could just be easier to say I'm sorry," Anzu said and Malik looked at her hand and then at her face.

He sneered at her then shrugged his shoulders making her remove her hand and grunted, "What was that?" Anzu asked holding one wrist behind her back and swinging slightly so her weight rested on her right hip making her skirt sway.

She watched as Malik's eyes looked her up and down, she had a tingling feeling creeping up her spine at what she knew he could and thought he would do.

"I'm sorry," he grumbled, "Treat."

"Excuse me?" she inquired bewildered.

"You came here Trick or Treating did you not?" he asked smirking, she nodded, "and I say, Treat."

"Oh," Anzu was about to say more on the subject when she felt Malik's arms around her waist and his mouth pressed roughly against her own. She felt something stir in her that made her eyes slip shut and her arms wrap around his neck. She felt his tongue flick through her in a manner that made her own stir, Malik was nothing like Yami.

There was something she didn't understand, although being with Yami was comforting and warming there always felt like there was something missing, when Malik took it upon himself to dominate her that whole seemed to fill, there was passion and want and something she didn't understand at all.

He broke away when breathing became vital, Anzu was breathing heavily against his lips that were still, just barely touching her own. "Do you have any idea what you do to me Anzu?" he demanded let his lips curl into a slight smirk.

"No, but why are you so different from Battle City?" Anzu asked.

"Things change Anzu, you've demonstrated that, you're two-timing your boyfriend," he hissed and Anzu's eyes widened. She tried to rip out of his grasp but found that one of his hands was now in her hair steadying his head and the other had grabbed a handful of her skirt which made her face grow red.

"Malik let me go!" she demanded.

"No," he replied pushing her closer to him, her chest heaving against his own and her pelvis against his.

"Why, I can't do this, Yami," she ranted in fear and shame.

"Please Anzu listen to me," he demanded shaking her slightly, she blinked but said nothing.

"Answer me this, what do you feel for me?" he felt Anzu freeze at that question and he gripped her harder, he had to know. The damn brunette drove him crazy; the maid outfit was bad enough but now that he'd tasted her skin, her mouth, felt her soft hair he didn't want to give that up to Yami, of all people. I mean, he'd rather see her with Seto Kaiba, nasty thought there, than with Yami, his rival!

"I-I," Anzu started, she'd just run this through in her head so why couldn't she get the words out. "Malik, let go off me!" she screamed and started to physically protest widely, jerking and twisting in his grip until he was force dot release her.

She panted and looked at him with fear in her eyes and confusion in his, "I can't answer that question Malik, I-I have to go home now!"

Malik sighed and looked longingly after her, "I need an answer Anzu," he whispered before heading into the house and up the stairs, unknown to him was that Isis had watched the whole thing.

"Oh Malik, you've changed so much and come so far since Battle City, what am I going to do with you?" she asked herself before retreating to bed herself.

---5th November---

There were fireworks lighting the skies brilliantly all over Domino, Anzu had originally intended to be with Yami that night, the pair of them in Domino Park. But something else had come up that she felt honour bound to attend to and ever since Halloween, Anzu had been trying her best to avoid Malik, she didn't know who to choose, Yami or Malik?

Was Yami just a friend to her? Or was Malik just something to which her mind reacted and that she shouldn't through an entire relationship with Yami away because of?

It didn't make sense to her and when she had asked Mai, she's said go with Malik because he's sexier. Typical Mai! Shizuka had said that she should pick Yami, he didn't have any violent tendencies and she could depend on him to protect her.

Thing was, she didn't value looks or protection as highly as she valued feelings, she could tell deeply for her but Malik? Did he love her or was it just a type of lust where all he wanted was her body?

Anyway, Isis had gone on a business trip to America to discuss her latest discovery back in Egypt, she'd taken Rashid with her as a bodyguard so Malik had been left on his own. Now there was nothing wrong with that, he was perfectly capable of looking after himself, or he would have been had he not have been bed ridden with the flu.

Convenient or unlucky depending on whichever way you looked at it.

Now you may very well ask what this has all got to do with Anzu; it's very simple really.

Isis knew Anzu personally, unlike all of the other servants so because of Malik's state Isis had asked Anzu to check up on him and make sure he was okay.

Now, the previous day Malik's temperature had gone up to well over 100 so Anzu had stayed over night, the next day and obviously tonight as well.

Malik had made progress though, his temperature had returned to normal, he'd got out of bed and eaten, colour had returned to his cheeks and he was practically good as new.

He was currently asleep in his black silk covered bed and Anzu was sitting on the side edge gazing out of the vast window at the fireworks as they exploded merrily in the sky. Great shards of colour; twinkling mysteriously and faded gently, so un-like the bright stars that shimmered respectfully above them. The lights in the room were turned off, as in the rest of the house; it was a full moon tonight as well which added to the glamour.

She felt a shift in the bed but assumed it was Malik merely turning over in his sleep, she didn't move. She took a sharp but small intake of breath when two tanned arms wrapped around her waist, "They're lovely aren't they?" he asked.

"Awake I see," she commented turning her head to look down at him as he lay sprawled beneath the sheets, his arms casually looped around her waist.

"Yes," he replied blinking before giving her a light tug at the waist and she knew what he wanted, unsure in her actions she complied none the less.

She lay down beside him, she atop the covers and he within them, he leaned up, propping himself up on one elbow and she looked up at him, her eyes locking with his own. Up to this point she hadn't spoken a word to Malik in fear that he would ask the question she knew one day she would have to answer.

He was intoxicated by her, he could smell her aroma drifting gently into his senses, hi brain registering that the first girl he'd ever wanted was lying right beside him. He looked at her, auburn hair splayed below her, fanning gently over the pillow, cerulean eyes reflecting the humble rays of the moon perfectly. The outfit he'd made her wear, with the short skirt hitched up at the top of her thighs, he swallowed heavily. Her chest rising and falling gently at her intake and outlet of breath, one leg slightly bent, one arm strewn lazily over her stomach and the other lingering by her head.

"I know you've been avoiding me," he informed her rolling over more so he was resting on the side length of his right leg and right elbow.

"I realised," she replied, "but for what reason?"

"Because I asked you," he then rolled over on top of her, his elbows either side of her neck as his lower arms fell casually by the sides of her skull, his knees resting by her pelvis, "if you loved me."

She looked up at him, the sheet had fallen away when he'd rolled on top of her and now she could see him in his black boxers and she gulped.

"And again, do you?" he asked unmoving as he watched the confusion flittering through her eyes.

"Yami, how can I choose?" she begged, she began to breathe a little heavier from their position.

"I don't know," he pushed his elbows back and leaned his shoulders forwards, arching his neck so his nose was feathered against her own, his flaxen hair tickling her warm, rogue cheeks.

"But until you do," he moved his lips gently against hers, chastely brushing them against her own, "let me love you without question or absolute reason."

There lips met and they kissed passionately in a way that made Anzu grown and arch her back, her hands flying to Malik's shoulders. When he finally tore himself away from taste, his sense of smell became clouded with her and only her, his eyes were riveted upon the brunette that lay tantalizingly beneath him. His ears seemed to become deaf to the outside world as he concentrated on her quicker breathing, to low groan issued from her throat.

He'd down everything but touch her, he had to feel her, his kisses trailed a hot path down her neck sucking harshly on her collar bone; nipping gently and making her whole body twitch, her hands were roaming over his back, her fingers gently massaging him.

His hands trailed a path down her sides, passed the rumpled skirt to her thighs, his index fingers running up the strap of the suspenders reaching the rim of her milky white underwear. His twitching fingers shadowed along the rim, wanting so badly to take them down, to feel, to see, to smell, to taste her absolute womanhood. His mouth reached once more for her red lips from which gasps, pants but no words fell like water from a fountain, splashing into his ears with immense accuracy.

"Malik?" she whispered against his lips. The movement required for such a task making her tongue flick against this own.

"Yes," he answered hoarsely kissing the corner of her mouth feverishly, moving to her ear.

"Please stop," she said massaging his shoulders, he moaned against her ear making her shudder.

"Don't resist me," he begged once more trailing his mouth down her neck, the other wide this time as his fingers slipped down to between her thighs fingering the rim, pulling it slightly.

"I have to," she gasped fidgeting as he kissed her lips again.

"But why?" he questioned as he pressed his chest against her own, feeling her breasts through the thin fabric of the material as his fingers continued to toy with her below.

"Because," she faltered when she felt one finger run itself leisurely over her through the cloth that covered her, "I'm not ready."

He grunted but his hands recoiled from her to rest on her cheeks as he looked her in the eyes, "Choose soon," he said kissing her softly one last time before rolling off her and snuggling beside her.

"I'll try Malik," she whispered back and they both fell asleep, Anzu feeling strangely calm, relaxed and reassured, just what she felt…with Yami?

---Next Day---

The sun rose up, bright as ever, causing Anzu to throw an arm to her eyes to shield them form the onslaught of filtered light. She groaned and felt a stir beside her, she looked to see Malik looking at her curiously, "Don't like the mornings then?" he asked.

"Not exactly my kind of wake up call; let's put it that way," she replied.

"Well you're exactly what I want to wake up to," Malik complemented brushing his nose lazily against the mark he'd made on her neck last night.

"Just give me time to think, okay Malik?" she asked looking imploringly at him and he nodded tiredly, yawning suddenly and causing her to start.

"Well I need a shower," she said, finally managing to hoist herself up and out of the bed on her own and shivering at the sudden cold stood up and stretched.

"Would you mind if I join you?"

"Malik!" she scolded and strode out of the room.

Malik, who had been sitting up at this point fell back onto the pillows, bouncing slightly. He grinned, "You can't choose quick enough Anzu."

**Right, next chapter features Anzu's heart breaking decision, a row and the beginning of Bakura's return! Enjoy ladies and gents! :-)**


	7. Return of the two

Black, endless black, no, not this dreams again!

There was only one figure this time, Bakura, Marik must have gone away, he turned she could see his eyes scanning the surroundings warily. She could see him so clearly now, then he whipped round and…she woke up.

"What was that?" Bakura growled as he sensed a faint glow of power leave the Shadow Realm.

Darkness, endless darkness, no, not this dream again!

Marik was there, arguing with Bakura, he punched the spirit in the gut and then walked away, dark cloak swaying behind him. Bakura groaned but got up none the less, she made to take a step towards him but his head snapped up and turned to look directly at her, "Whose there?" he called and then…she woke up.

"It's gone again, damn it, if its Yami then I would so love to get my hands on him," Bakura recited but then turned his attention to more important matters, like where was Marik.

Once again she found herself locked within the gloomy depths of the Shadow Realm.

There was Marik, but Bakura was nowhere in site, it didn't take long but, "Who are you?" Marik called walking in her direction, "your weak but I can sense you, come out?" Marik smirked and Anzu gasped, if they were starting to be bale to sense her presence?

She couldn't stop it, she had no control over her dreams, he was so close now and…she woke up.

"So it's true, Bakura wasn't lying when he said there was a strange presence lingering round here," Marik contemplated, "well, this could prove to be interesting, if not entertaining."

Anzu began to know what to expect, to feel curious about what may happen next, would they both be there, or just one? Should she try speaking to them? Could she touch them? But most importantly, why was she having these dreams?

It was obvious she was connecting with the Shadow Realm somehow but she didn't have a Millennium Item and to the best of her knowledge she had never existed in the Egyptian past that Yami was so fond of.

They were both there, and they looked to her directly when she saw them, Marik came towards her but Bakura stayed were he was, then his eyes widened as though he'd seen her. She took a step back and called, "Marik, it's a girl!"

"A girl you say," she him lick his lips, "want to play girlie?"

"N-no!" she stuttered momentarily but her voice regained composure quick enough, both Yami's paid attention then, had they heard her?

However, before she could investigate further…she woke up.

"Bakura, did you see whom or what it was?" Marik barked turning round swiftly.

"Hai," Bakura answered, he'd indulge the other spirit for a while before retreating to some other area where he would not be disturbed by the homicidal maniac.

"And it was a girl you say?" Bakura nodded and Marik smirked, "well I'm sure this could supply us with some fun don't you agree?"

Bakura growled, "You're sick you know that."

"Did you here her Bakura?" Bakura nodded, "she's no match for me and if you don't want her I'll be quiet happy to have her all to myself."

Bakura snorted before leaving the smirking Yami behind him.

Dark, endless black, rivulets of swirling blue and magenta, she was here again and there they were, Bakura standing on her right and Marik sitting to her left, had they been expecting her?

"So you're back then?" Marik smirked, and Anzu shuddered, she didn't like the look he was giving her and she was still unsure whether or not they could see her.

"C-can, you see me?" she looked at them both; they had obviously heard her because they looked at her more resolutely.

"I can't, Bakura?" Marik answered before then looked at the white haired one.

"I saw for a moment, you're a girl with dark hair but you didn't stay visible for long enough," Bakura answered.

"When did you see me?" she asked.

"Then, when you spoke," Bakura answered and Marik just observed the scene with amusement, he couldn't see her at all.

"So when I'm talking you can see me so that would mean that you can see me now, right?" Anzu reasoned and Bakura nodded then smirked.

"It's the Pharaoh's whore," Bakura commented and Anzu cringed, why did they all call her that?

"You mean the cute little brunette one?" Marik asked and Bakura nodded, the pair smirked and Anzu gulped. They both moved towards her and…she woke up.

"She's gone," Marik commented.

"Thank you for stating the obvious," Bakura smirked, "But why is she here? She has no Shadow Power!" With that as their parting comment they both walked off in different directions, bored of each other company no doubt.

---25th November---

It was late evening and the sky was already dark, 9:00, stars littering its inky blackness like great fireflies trapped forever in the web of the sky and outer space. A pair of heels clicked and a pair of shoes tapped disturbing the almost totally quiet night. Yami squeezed Anzu's hand lightly and she looked at him smiled, he inclined his head gently towards the entrance to Domino Park and she nodded.

The two made their way slowly and deliberately towards the lake situated in the centre of the park. Leaves crunched beneath their feet form frost and the bare branches of the trees swayed slightly as a gently wind toyed with them.

When they reached the gleaming mass of undisturbed water they sat down by the edge and Yami looked at Anzu who said, "Yami, why are we here?"

"Because I wanted to ask you a serious question," Yami replied.

"What was it?" asked she.

"I was going to ask," he looked away briefly before looking into her eyes, "if you loved me?"

Anzu sat transfixed in his gaze, her mind turmoil, Malik had said nothing about that incident some 20 days ago but why was he in her mind now? This was her and Yami's moment and she wasn't going to let him get in the way of that.

"Yes Yami, I do," she answered truthfully for she did love Yami it was her feelings for Malik of which she was unsure, but once again, why had he entered her mind?

"Good," Yami said closing the gap between them, claiming her slowly and deliberately, her hands reached up to curl long fingers gently at her throat. As Yami began to explore her mouth more intimately he began to put pressure for her to lie down. She complied, feeling the grass and leaved flatten underneath her, the slight cold it brought, but it didn't matter at the moment.

Yami broke away and lay down beside her wrapping his arms tenderly about her waist, she herself cuddling up to him and burying her hands and face into his chest. "Yami?" whispered her small and timid voice.

"Yes love?" he responded, she smiled, he'd never called her love before.

"There's something I've been hiding from you," she felt Yami stiffen slightly and she gulped wondering how she was going to tell him about Malik.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Malik's back," Yami growled, "and Isis to, they live a few blocks from here," she explained.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Yami demanded.

"B-because," he looked at her encouragingly, no malice or anger in his eyes, "I work for them," and Anzu burst into tears.

"What; why?" Yami asked, sitting up, pulling Anzu with him and rocking her back and forth gently, rubbing her back to calm her down.

"It paid well, nothing was wrong but, oh Yami," she couldn't stop crying, she'd betrayed him, she felt so ashamed.

"I understand, but what happened Anzu," he took her wrists in his hands and held them a way from him so she had to look at him, "did he hurt you?"

Anzu stopped crying momentarily to look him in the eye, she sniffled pathetically, "No, he didn't hurt but Yami, h-he kissed me and touched me and said that he wanted me."

"What! How dear that slimy, good for nothing," Yami stood up abruptly, and despite her distraught mind and clouded thoughts she knew what Yami might do. He was already striding off but she scrambled to her feet none the less and dashed after him.

"Yami, no, wait, don't do anything rash, please Yami stop," she ran so that she was in front of him and stood there, arms outstretched, legs shoulder width apart.

"Move Anzu," he said in a dead pan voice making a move to make her budge.

"No Yami, I won't let you hurt him," Yami growled, his eyes flashed an unnatural red and the Senen eye began to materialize on his forehead, glowing bright and brighter.

"Get out of the way Anzu, I don't want to have to hurt you too," he warned, growling and bringing his hand up, palm out towards her, she was about two feet away from it.

"Please Yami stop!" she begged, the Senen eye glowed brighter and a black, blue and purple bomb exploded form Yami's hands and hurtled towards her. Anzu screamed, but felt an odd feathery sensation take over her body, perhaps this was what being sent to the Shadow Realm felt like, no, it' couldn't have been. She felt pain when the Yami no Senen Ring had transported them to the Shadow Realm on top of turning them into cards.

"What the?" she gasped as she found herself whisked into a room as though she weighed nothing, the room had pale blue walls and was quiet nice. Then the door slammed and she became trapped, with very little light, "Hey, let me out," she began to pound on the door with her fist, over and over again.

"Let me o-aaah," she screamed again as she suddenly felt an electric shock race through her nerves and found herself thrown backwards onto her back, scraping against the dirt of the ground in the Park.

Then something happened which she'd never though she'd see, a huge black whole, swirling with bleu and purple opened about three feet from her, first a pale hand appeared and then an arm, a green shirt, blue and white stripes, folds of white hair and dark brownish red tinted eyes and long firm legs.

She gasped, "Yami no Bakura," then she began to shake, there was a tanned arm reaching from the portal now, "NO, YAMI NO MALIK!" she screamed.

Then an arrow of pure white light appeared and shot into the portal, a deep throated yell and the arm was gone, a few seconds later the swirling mass dissolved and the Park returned to view.

Now you're probably all wondering what happened, so we'll go back in time to just when Yami released his Shadow Bomb.

The ball of crackling blue and purpled electric light burst form Yami's hand, heading straight for Anzu. It was about to hit when suddenly her eyes flew wide open, her pupils dilated and then the irises of her eyes began to go purple and then red, her hair waved madly in the wind, slowly lengthening about an inch and going several shades darker.

The trousers she wore faded, the t-shirt vanished, socks, trainers, everything, to be replaced by a simple, flowing white tunic that reached the ground. It was bound at the waist by a length of golden cord and two golden clips at the shoulder straps held the material up. Two, hidden mind you, white sandals adorned small feet and a silver tiara lay amongst auburn locks.

Two pale arms moved quickly to form an arrow of white light that split the balk in two sending the two halves rocketing into the air and out of sight in two completely different directions.

"Yami," the small, pleasant sounding, but frail voice of the woman before him called.

"Teana," Yami gulped, how could this be, the woman he'd loved in his past, here now?

Suddenly Teana's muscles tightened and from her exploded Anzu, who flew backwards screaming onto her back. Teana turned to look at her with and odd look of curiosity on her face. The girl who looked so much like herself, she observed, groaned and then Teana whipped round as a surge of shadow magic rippled through the whole of Japan.

Three waves in fact, one for her arrow and two for Yami's Bomb, the Senen eye glowed on Yami's forehead and a huge portal opened creating a gateway between the real world and that of the Shadow Realm. She felt the cold pull of it's depths but resisted as she felt a familiar presence coming closer.

An idle hand reached up to trace a finger along the line of the scar he had left behind the last time she'd seen him.

Then a man immerged, white haired and pale, the girl cried out, "Yami no Bakura," the girl began to shake, then another form, tanned and muscular, so un-like the first, the girl screamed this time, "NO, YAMI NO MALIK!"

The white haired one turned swiftly around and Yami stepped forwards, sensing the danger Teana raised her arms again firing a white arrow into the darkness, finding its target and sending the hit back into the darkness.

Then the portal closed up and the four were left in the cold night air, Teana sank to her knees, confused and scared about where she was and what was happening.

Bakura looked around frantically, looking at Yami, glancing at Anzu, smirking slightly before turning to look at the hunched figure of Teana, his eyes widening as he sensed an aura he hadn't felt in millennia.

Yami glanced at Bakura warily but though better than to send him to the Shadow Realm now, the temperature had dropped dramatically and he didn't think any of them were in any kind of fit state at the moment.

Anzu, scarred, upset; mortified and just plain terrified had shaken violently, coughed, sneezed and fainted from exhaustion and cold.

"I'll get you Yami," Bakura croaked before he fell forwards in a dead faint, the struggle with that portal had obviously taken a lot out of him.

"B-Bakura," Teana gasped, "It can't be and," her head whipped round to look at Yami, "Y-Yami." She'd seen him there before but it had apparently not quiet registered to her whom he actually was, after all, he was wearing modern clothing, not at all the attire she remembered him in.

"Where are we?" she gasped, Yami sighed, this was going to take a lot of explaining.

"I'll tell you in the morning, but right now," he took out a cell phone and dialled Ryou's number, the white haired boy was usually up at this hour and his house was very big.

*Hello Bakura household, Ryou speaking*

"Hey Ryou, it's me Yami, I need a favour and no questions asked, I'm in Domino Park I need you to come here now and help me," Yami explained.

*Um…okay Yami, I'll be over in say, ten minutes, meet me by the main gate?*

"Alright, bye Ryou," and they hung up, "Teana," she looked up, "Can you carry Anzu?"

"Anzu?" she looked confused.

"The one that looks like you," he waved at the out cold brunette and sighed as it began to pour with rain, "just my luck."

Teana nodded and went over to Anzu, picking her up bridle style, Yami, who was substantially shorter than Bakura loaded the spirit onto his back, his arms dangling lifelessly over his shoulders.

They made their way to the main gate to be met by Ryou and his car, Ryou looked absolutely out of his mind when he saw Bakura, let alone the state Anzu was in and her look alike. They shoved Bakura and Anzu into the backseat and it took a lot of convincing from Yami to get Teana into the car.

Yami sighed and clambered into the front passenger seat, they were, by this point, all dripping wet. Ryou didn't say anything, just sighed, shook his head and drove back to his house.

There were two guest rooms, Teana agreed to sleep in the same room as Bakura although Yami made many protests. 

"Oh for goodness sakes, just shut up Yami and deal with it," Ryou yelled brushing wet bangs out of his eyes, Yami looked at him but shut up all the same.

"Teana," she looked up, "your with Bakura," she nodded, "Yami, your in my room and I will take my fathers room, everybody got it?" they all nodded, "then all go to bed, get some sleep and talk this over in the morning."

And that was that, as far as Ryou was concerned that was all there was to it, he went into his father's room, collapsed on the bed and fell straight to sleep.

**Ta da, not exactly as I expected when I first planned this chapter out but yeh, this works to.**


	8. Someone has to loose

Bakura groaned heavily, throwing an arm over his eyes, his head was throbbing but more than anything he else he appeared to be, warm? But the Shadow Realm was cold wasn't it, putting his arm down he sat up gently looking around. He glanced downward and saw that he was in boxers, blue and white shirt and covered lightly by what he recognised instantly as the sheets in Ryou's spare bedroom.

He gulped when he felt something shift next to him and he looked down at a long, lean figure, dark chocolate hair splayed beneath her head, eyes closed. Those eyes fluttered open revealing two crimson orbs. They blinked and she glanced upwards at his sitting figure, "Bakura?" she gasped, not quiet believing it.

Bakura, who himself was stunned speechless just looked back at her, he hadn't seen her millennia and the idea that she was here now, with him, in a bed, and he wasn't in the shadow realm, Yami nowhere in site, it was too good to be true.

"Yes Teana?" he responded swinging his legs round so he was sitting towards her.

"Where are we, what is this place and," she reached out to pinch at his attire, "what are you wearing?"

"It's a long story," he started, laying down beside her and pulling the covers up once more.

"I think we have time," she insisted looking at him speculatively.

"Well, me and Yami, our souls were imprisoned in the Millennium Ring and Puzzle, that bit you know," she nodded, "then 3000 years later we are awakened here, in the current present."

"You mean we're in the future?" she gaped.

"Oh course," he confirmed smiling and reached a hand to her ear where a finger traced the small scar there.

She shuddered, "Bakura," she gasped.

"Ssh now," he persuaded pushing his lips to hers as her eyes slipped closed, content to let the waves of passion was over her as if she was the sand on the beach.

He drew away and grinned his fangs showing, "Just like old times eh?"

"Yes," she replied slipping her arms around his neck and bringing him close to her once again, "Except this time, it can't be a dream, it just can't."

He kissed her gently one last time before he rolled off her, slinking his arms around her waist and falling swiftly into a pleasurable sleep.

Yami bolted up right, his hair all over the place and his vision blurry, he rubbed his eyes frantically as something continued to pound no his door, "Yami, Yami get up!"

He scrambled out of bed and, forgetting he was only in boxers because his cloths were still drying he scrambled to the door. Wrenching it open he was met by Ryou, in a pair of jeans a t-shirt and Yami's state causing him to blush like mad.

"Yami; put some cloths on and come downstairs, it's already eleven and everyone else is up," Ryou said and Yami nodded.

"Oh and here," Ryou continued handing Yami a shirt and slacks, "I figured your cloths would still be wet."

Yami looked over his own shoulder to look at his cloths which were still dripping water, "You got that right, okay Ryou, see you in a minute."

Both grinned and Ryou made his way downstairs leaving Yami to hastily dress himself and scamper down the stairs two at a time, tripping over the last five and landing in a heap at the bottom.

"I've seen drunken men with more dignity than you Pharaoh," came the taunting oh so annoying voice of Bakura.

"Bakura!" he heard Ryou scold as he stood up, dusting himself off as he made his way into the living room where they all sat. Ryou was on a seat in the corner, Bakura and Teana on one couch, Anzu on the other, he himself walked over to the last spare seat and glared at Bakura for two reasons, one; his gloating, two; he was sitting next to Teana.

"Now I think we need to start at the beginning," Ryou glanced around, "the **very** beginning," he emphasised his point by looking at Teana who blushed and looked away.

"Well I was Pharaoh and Teana was my wife," Yami started and Teana blushed even more and buried her face in Bakura's shoulder. "Teana what's wrong?" he asked worriedly, moving to get up not noticing the hurt look in Anzu's eyes.

He growled when he saw Bakura warp an arm around her waist and pull her closer patting her back and brushing her dark hair out of her eye.

"What in Ra's name do you think you're doing?" Yami demanded moving to stand but Ryou blocked his way.

"Yami, calm down and sit down," Ryou ordered and Yami grudgingly sat back down watching Bakura intently.

"Bakura what is going on between you and Teana?" Yami demanded, seething in his chair while Ryou kept a cool eye on all present.

"It's what you might call an affair," Bakura replied cockily resting his chin on top of Teana's head, he pulled her closer and glanced down to see her face bright red.

"Y-you're not serious?" Yami stuttered looking horrified but Bakura smirked, "Teana, how, tell me its not-it's not…" he trailed off as he heard her sob and pull closer to Bakura.

"Face it Pharaoh, you're all washed up," Bakura's smirk grew wider; Yami's eyes narrowed and he gritted his teeth.

The Senen eye glowed brightly on his forehead; Teana looked at him in shock whereas Bakura stood up and stepped in front of her. Yami's range grew and he was ready to lunge at Bakura but two things stopped him, one; Ryou had jumped in front of him and Bakura and was yelling 'Time-out' and two; Yuugi was yelling at him from inside his mind.

The translucent form of his light appeared next to him, his face contorted in anger, "Yami don't you dare, violence is not the answer, feelings, although strong, should not cloud your judgement."

"They aren't Yuugi," Yami growled, "once he's is out of the way I can ensure no one will get hurt."

"Well it's not like you've given him a chance to explain!" Yuugi argued causing Yami to be momentarily stunned into silence. "I'm warning you Yami, you attack him and I'll never be your friend again!"

"Fine," Yami sighed, the Senen eye disappearing as did Yuugi, he glared at Bakura who raised an eyebrow and smirked, Teana behind him.

Then someone coughed and the quartet turned to look at Anzu, "You know what, I really cannot be bothered with an explanation," she stated glaring momentarily at Yami before smiling at Ryou, "thank-you for your hospitality Bakura-san," and with that she strode out the door.

Bakura looked confused but didn't really care, Ryou just looked at Yami and Teana glanced nervously from Bakura to Yami.

"Oh shoot," Yami cursed himself running to the door, "be back soon Ryou," and dashed out of the wooden appliance, Ryou watching him bewildered but with understanding.

Ryou walked over to the door and closed it, "Well, now that they are out of the way for a bit I'd like an explanation." Teana nodded who had remained silent throughout the whole ordeal, she sat down and Bakura looked at Ryou before he sat beside her.

Sitting back in his chair Ryou asked, "What happened in the past?"

"Should I or you?" Bakura asked looking at Teana who smiled.

"You first," she replied and he nodded turning back to Ryou.

"Well, she," he jabbed his finger at Teana, "was betrothed to Yami, so she had to visit him for a month once every year and that's how we met, when I tried to steal from her and she blocked me."

"I see," Ryou said, "Continue…"

Brown eyes looked around cautiously, slinking through the shadows his billowing red cape made hardly a sound as he crept forth. His eyes widened in triumph and his lips curled into a smirk at the items of wealth laid bare before him. He reached a tanned hand to touch a golden vase when a silver blade was laid gently on his wrist.

"My Lord's guards may be easy to manipulate but you'll find I am not so easily avoided," stated a voice calmly.

He turned to look at the smiling face of a girl, obviously amused, she wore royal robes, this wasn't a servant this was the Princess he'd intended to rob.

"Is that so?" he questioned smirking, retracting his hand in favour of crossing his arms and leaning against the wall behind him.

"Quiet so, Bakura," she replied placing the sword to is neck, "And I do not scare easily."

"What's there to be afraid of, I have some manners after all," he said side stepping her blade and moving closer to her, "I wouldn't hurt a lady."

"But you're willing to kill people are you not," she drew her sword back and pressed its length to his throat, "then how so, am I different?"

"Simply because, like so many, there are better things I could do with you," their eyes locked.

"And what, pray tell would that be?" she questioned raising a delicate eyebrow ignoring the hand on her hip.

"Must I say when I could demonstrate?" Bakura questioned.

"I highly doubt that," she replied.

"Don't doubt me young Princess," he finished and gently pressed his lips to hers, then they both drew away quickly at the sound of the guards shouting and scuffling about.

'You; go check on the Princess!' called a sharp order, Teana turned to warn Bakura but, he was gone.

The guard walked in, "Are you alright Princess?"

"Yes I'm fine, why do you ask?" Teana asked politely, hiding the sword behind her back.

"A Tomb Robber is on the loose Princess," she nodded and dismissed him; as soon as the door was shut she felt the sword swiftly taken from her grasp.

She was about to turn when an arm snuck around her waist holding her in place and the sword placed against the front of her neck. She gasped when she felt a pair of lips wondering on her neck, "When can I see you again Princess?" he asked.

"I don't know if you should, let alone being able to," she replied.

"Can't you give me a straight answer?" he asked nuzzling into the hair beside her ear.

"And if I did?" asked she.

"I could leave and come back another time," was his reply.

"What if I was to tell you not to come back?" she asked leaning back into him.

"You really think you could keep me out," he licked her ear; I do this kind of thing for fun.

"Well then I suppose asking me was pointless?" she asked.

"Yes," he said drawing back; she turned as he walked to the balcony of her room, "I'll be back Princess," he smirked and climbed up onto the balcony and began to descend via the plantation on the walls leading to her room.

She walked to the edge leaned over and called, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"You couldn't even if you tried," and with that, he was gone.

"Yes well," Ryou coughed, "I'm Ryou by the way, it's nice to meet you," he said politely reaching over and shaking Teana's hand.

"Teana," she replied, "Bakura, what are we going to do about Yami?"

"I'm guessing you never loved him like Bakura?" Ryou asked and she nodded sadly.

"Can you really blame her?" Bakura said cockily.

"Bakura, this is **not** the time for you and your stupid comments got that?" she demanded and Bakura nodded looking away from his snickering light.

"It's is a good question though, what are you going to do?" Ryou asked.

"Don't know but I for one, am hungry, Ryou, go cook something," Bakura ordered crossing his arms behind his head, closing his eyes and sinking back into the couch.

"I'm going, I'm going," Ryou replied standing up and sighing, he walked into the kitchen leaving the two behind.

"What about my reincarnation Bakura? The girl called Anzu?" Teana asked.

"Forget about her, she's not important," Bakura replied not moving.

"I suppose your right," she said leaning into him and he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close.

"Oh dear," Ryou sighed, "What have we gotten ourselves into now?"

"Anzu wait!" Yami cried running after the brunette who was fleeing down the street before him.

"Leave me alone Yami," she stormed up to her door and fumble with the key; however, before she could successfully unlock the door Yami had grabbed her wrists and turned her round. "Get off Yami!" she demanded but he didn't move.

"Not until you hear me out," he explained pushing her back against the door.

"What is there to hear? I've seen all I need to know!" she cried writhing, trying to get out of his grasp.

"What do you mean by that?" Yami asked not moving.

"You love Teana not me, I am nothing to you, so go away and leave me alone!" Anzu explained, tears appearing in her eyes.

"No Anzu I love you, I don't love her any more," Yami insisted.

"Then why did you react to Bakura, why?" Anzu begged.

"I…" Yami started.

"No Yami, you lied to me, you love Teana not me now let me go, go back to her and leave me out of this I want nothing more to do with y…" she was stopped when Yami's mouth covered hers. Her eyes widened in shock then she chocked when she saw a pair of startled lavender eyes, a flash of gold and he was gone.

Malik sighed closing the door to his house, he was going to Anzu' now, if she didn't want him then it was over, he'd sac her of course but anyway. He'd heard yelling about three yards away from her gate, a chocked sob and he was there in a flash.

What he saw made him start, Yami had her pinned against her door and was kissing her, her eyes filled with tears.

Then their eyes locked and he could see the fear in her eyes, it was obvious, she'd made her choice. He turned and began to run, run back home, why her, why did she have to be the one his heart wanted, why?

What did Yami have that he didn't?

Oh that was easy, loyalty, King of Games, charming, life sucks.

Anzu gasped and Yami plunged his tongue into her mouth but she bit it harshly and he leapt back slightly, she pushed his shocked form off her and began to sprint for all she was worth after Malik. It was about two now and she could barely see him, she called, "Malik, MATTE!"

He stopped and she was able to catch up to him, "Malik it wasn't."

"Oh shut up, just run back to Yami where you belong you whore!" he demanded glaring at her, his flaxen hair falling into his fiery eyes.

"No Malik," she grabbed his arm, "I don't love him and he doesn't love me please, believe me?"

"No Anzu, you're fired, just get off and leave me alone," he began to pry her off of him but she refused.

"Malik please," she begged and in an act of desperation pressed her lips to his.

He growled and pushed her roughly, she lost her balance and fall backwards onto the ground, "Malik…"

"Goodbye Anzu," he turned and began to walk away, "I never want to see you again."

**Well, it's a shorter chapter but yeh, moving swiftly onwards. Took forever for me to write this, Writers Block and don't expect an update, I may have to abandon this story.**


	9. Dear Diary

Dear Aunt Rosa,

I wanted to ask if I could stay with you wile I'm at University?

Write back soon

My love

Anzu

Dear Anzu,

Of course dear but why? Is it your parents?

Write back equally fast

My love

Rosa

Dear Aunt Rosa,

I don't really want to talk about it, no it's not my parents I just need some time away from Domino. Thank you for accepting me.

See you soon

Anzu

Dear Mum and Dad,

I regret to inform you that I feel that I can't stay in Domino; I'm going to live with Aunt Rosa and Sally, I'll still go to University so don't worry about my education.

I'm sorry that I couldn't wait for a reply and that I failed to ask your permission, truly, I am sorry.

Well I hardly think there is anything left to say, goodbye.

All my love

Anzu

**Can't remember the date**

Dear Diary,

This will be my last entry until I come back to Domino, I started this diary when I came to Domino and therefore I don't think it right to record outside happenings. My mind is in turmoil and just so you know, I'm going to be at Aunt Rosa's for University.

Maybe when I come back things will have settled down, I hope everyone will be happy because I just keep messing things up.

This has to be my shortest entry so far I think, oh well.

Bye for now

Anzu


	10. Finale : The end of the beginning

**LAME UPDATE AT VERY BOTTOM OF PAGE!!! VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY IMPORTANT!!!**

So, Anzu moved to her Aunt Rosa's to stay, she went to University for three years and a lot happened in Domino in that time. Ryou and Bakura's bodies never joined again and they found that Bakura going to the Shadow Realm had somewhat torn their link and they no longer needed to share a body.

Bakura and Teana became a couple and Teana was very embarrassed when they were all on a picnic and Bakura went down on one knee and literally begged her to marry him. She'd accepted and they'd gotten married a year after Anzu left, neither of them caring much for the brunette. They'd also had a child, a boy with silvery hair and fiery red eyes, he was a noisy little chap but that didn't matter.

Jounouchi nearly committed suicide when he found out the rivalry among Mokuba and Seto Kaiba for the heart of his, not so little, sister Shizuka. She seemed fine about it and insisted that he calm down, but this left Otogi and Honda, but that didn't really matter.

The Christmas after Anzu left Jounouchi proposed to Mai as a Christmas gift and they were married two years later and Mai would be six months pregnant by the time Anzu got back.

Yami and Yuugi, with the help of Shadi, who, behind everyone's backs was chasing after Isis, obtained separate bodied. Yami was desperate to try and find Anzu but as Yuugi explained Japan was a big place, let alone the world, she could be anywhere. He'd calmed down somewhat and decided that he had to let it go, it screwed up big time but he couldn't change that. So he, Yuugi and Grandpa ran the Game shop well. Yuugi convinced Grandpa to sign a contract with Otogi and they now had piles of people coming in so that was them all fine and dandy.

Honda had decided to pursue racing on his motor biking and was currently touring the world and Otogi was too wrapped up in his business and all the woman that fell at his feet wherever he went he hardly had time to deal with anyone else.

But where does that leave Malik? He'd come to Domino with his sister for business purposes and two years after Anzu had left they were finished, he would have liked to see her one last time, just to say goodbye but that never happened and he had to leave. The mansion was boarded up and once again it was deserted.

And so, Anzu came back, three years gone she had changed somewhat, she wore her brown hair in a thick braid that fell to her elbows, she was taller, her curves more defined, from eighteen she'd become twenty-one and was now a fully fledged woman.

Her parents greeted her warmly and welcomed her back with open arms, although she decided it would be best not to inform her friends of her immediate arrival.

That same evening she did something she'd been longing to do every since she left, or maybe even before that, she went to the Ishtar Mansion. And now, our tale begins once again.

She'd driven there, in her dad's car who had graciously lent it to her without question, of which she was thankful for. It was dark, despite it being summer; it was obviously late and she had forgotten to done her watch before she left. She sighed and looked longingly at the large house, rotting planks of wood barring the entrances and windows, the grass and flower beds overgrown giving the house a haunted look.

She walked up to the covered front door, her feet making an annoying crunch on the filthy gravel. She ran her hand over the wood; it was filthy, damp with rain water and covered in green fungus. She tugged lightly, careful not to splinter herself and the wood came off easily to her shock and delight. Pulling off just enough for her to heave the door open and duck inside, closing the door against the cold night. It was very dark inside; she couldn't see a thing thin sheets of moon light flew through the small gaps between the boards. She found her way to the staircase, going up a couple of flights looking at the cm thick layers of dusk that covered the floor, panelling and what little furniture that had been left or forgotten.

The ancient boards creaked beneath her wondering feet; she wasn't really looking as to where she was going but when she found herself outside the door to Malik's room she felt that she had to look inside it, just one more time. The door creaked longingly, the lack of oil and proper care showing, she screamed and jumped back when one of the hinges broke and the door fell with a crash to the floor.

Several of the old floorboards crumpled beneath its weight revealing a small secret kind of storage area. She coughed, choking on the thick layers of dust that had arisen and were finding their unwelcome way into her lungs. She waved her hand franticly in front of her face and kneeled down to look in the hole she had unintentionally created.

There was a book there, caked in dust, she picked it up and brushed most of it away with her hand. It was a black covered book with silver writing scrawled elegantly across the front 'Malik Ishtar'. She gaped, what was this, she opened it and leafed vaguely through the slightly crinkled pages, she gasped when she realised what it was.

It was Malik Ishtar's diary, but what was it doing here and for that matter, where was Malik and Isis maybe they'd moved back to Egypt.

"Reading it might answer my questions," she said to the only person in the room, herself, before making another statement that contradicted the first, "but that's an invasion of privacy."

"Still, he did leave it here it's probably nothing important anyway," so she opened it and read the last entry.

'Yesterday Isis told me that we are going back to Egypt; now don't get me wrong, that's a good thing I can't stand this Japanese climate. But still, it means I won't be able to see Anzu again and I can't exactly tell her I'm going, I have no idea where she's gone. As I've said before, I'm not surprised she went away; Isis says that after what I said to her she had every right to be upset and that I should have listened.

It's just that, that really is not how I work, I'm not sympathetic, Isis says I'm tempestuous, had to look that up it a dictionary, means 'Passionate'. Anyway, onto the proper use of this book, dreams, what I dreamt last night was probably triggered by what Isis told me.

I was lying on my bed, quite ironic really seeing as in reality I actually was, when the doorbell rang, no one seemed to be about so I had to answer it. So I go downstairs and open the door and there she is, standing there smiling at me and she keeps saying she's sorry. Then she kisses me and once again it ends with me fucking her senseless, of course I woke up in dire need of a cold shower.

Though even if she hates me I wish she'd come back, just even for one minute just so I could say goodbye. Oh well, I have decided to leave this here; I don't think I'll have much use for it in Cairo. Isis says it's wonderful there, much better than where we used to live.

I don't know, well, I suppose this is goodbye, well bye.'

Anzu was shocked; Malik Ishtar certainly didn't seem the time to have any feelings of that sort at all. Then she flicked back several pages to the times when she was working for Malik and read on…

'Ever since that damn girl Anzu Mazaki came to work here my head has fallen off my shoulders, I mean, I new I'd lost virtually al my sanity but really, this was pushing the limits. Especially since I keep dreaming about her, amongst other things, you didn't think I was completely obsessed did you?

Anyway, I'm reading in my room and then she comes in to clean it, she blushes and bows saying 'I'm sorry sir I'll leave you alone' then she moved to back out of the door.

'No, just a minute' I smirk, she just stands there and go up and pin her against he door, locking it, she gasps and kiss her. Her hands fly to my neck pulling me closer and I moan involuntarily. My hands wonder over her body ripping at her uniform tearing it down revealing her breasts, her nipples grow hard. My hands trail up her legs ripping off her panties; I thrust a finger into her soaking wet pussy and she-'

Anzu shut the book violently, this was obviously a dream diary, she'd tried it once but since she wasn't a dreamer it hadn't worked out, but did he really have to go into so much detail? She winced, still she stood up and dusted what dust he could off of her trousers, she stood a moment, paused in thought.

She deliberated on keeping it or leaving it here and after much contemplation she decided to take it with her, holding tightly to her she stepped over the door and out, back into the corridor.

She made her way silently back to her father's car and heard the church clocks strike midnight, that late already? She quickened her pace and hastened to the car, driving home was quick enough seeing as the roads were deserted, a gang of boys she drove past catcalled but she ignored them.

She had many other things to think about than horny teenagers, but the sex and lust filled dreams of a particular one; that was another matter. Pulling out her key she made it into the house and up to her room without any conflict between her parents and herself, they knew her well enough to know that she wouldn't do anything stupid.

She placed Malik's dream diary next top her Domino account that she'd left behind three years ago and climbed into bed, drifting off to sleep as her head hit the softness of her pillow.

**Well there you have it, we began, sort of, a brand new story a separate part. n-ways REVIEW either that or I abandone the story because it is really starting to drag on. (and the minor fact that some people are stuck up prats but hey that's not the point!) -actually it is but there you go-**

**Okay, here's the deal, because I went off track this is the end of the story! I will write a sequel I promise!!! So don't worry, except I have a minor case of writers block and it may take...a very long time. Basically, I REQUIRE ASSITANCE!!! Please help, e-mail me if you want 2, luv u ppl and c u in the sequel :-D**

**SSA-chan (a.k.a Mattey_gurl)**


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